


White Fire

by TheUnkindledQueen



Series: Playing With Fire [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, and a sequel to a fic i haven't looked at in years, she gets a happy ending there was that so hard lol, wrote an azula redemption fic mostly out of spite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:27:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 43,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23683135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheUnkindledQueen/pseuds/TheUnkindledQueen
Summary: Time had passed since Azula's fall from grace, but she always had her with her and together, they seek closure and connection as they search for Ursa. - AU of The Search. Sequel to Black Fire. -
Relationships: Azula (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Playing With Fire [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2041030
Comments: 15
Kudos: 134





	1. Voices

**Author's Note:**

> "All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways."
> 
> ― Yann Martel, Life of Pi
> 
> "Being left alone has its hard parts too."
> 
> \- Shizuku Tsukishima.

~o~

It had been several years since she was locked away.

Sen frowned thoughtfully.

She struggled to straighten the tie on her uniform in front of the mirror that morning; everything was perfect for her visit with Azula, but she just couldn't get it tied right.

"Hey." Katara knocked on the doorway.

Sen looked at her. "Oh, Katara. Could you help me?"

"Of course." Katara walked up to her, reached out where Sen indicated to help her tie the red ribbon in place.

Sen was smiling and Katara caught the look. She chuckled as she finished the final knot. She always got a kick out of seeing Sen so eager to visit Azula, even if she herself didn't care for the Fire Nation princess. Sen had been visiting her every day and it was to the point that she no longer required supervision. Katara occasionally joined her and the two had grown to be friends in the time that they'd spent together.

Aang and Katara had also grown closer and in a way, Sen envied that they could be together as they desired; where she could not be with the woman of her attentions. Still, she cherished the time that she was given. Maybe one day, she wouldn't have to do this.

"Someone's excited." Katara remarked.

"I am. I have news for her. I can't wait." Sen grinned widely, happily. "I was promoted to admiral this morning. I know Azula had planned it before her coronation, but it's been official."

"Good for you!" Katara beamed.

"Thank you. Ready to go?"

"I am." Katara nodded. "Let's go."

Once outside, the two women stepped in front of a Komodo Rhino waiting for them. Sen smiled happily and reached out to pet the animal. Katara made a face and shook her head.

"Sen, maybe you should consider a new steed." she suggested.

Sen climbed onto the creature's back and shrugged. "Why? I've had Wataru for years."

The Rhino looked at Katara and let out a low, gurgling huff.

After a few choice complaints, Katara agreed to ride on the back of the animal with Sen. They made their way to the facility, talking about what had happened a week ago at the market; she'd been insulted about her facial scars that had been seen due to not wearing her mask.

"...I told them I was sorry." Sen said, dryly.

"You have a temper." Karata quipped.

Sen didn't laugh or share a joke with her. Instead, she sighed, slouching her shoulders with a quiet grunt of confirmation. "Yeah. You know, even if I fought so hard not to, I suppose I still became my father in the end."

Katara shook her head now. "No, Sen. I don't think so." she argued. "I never knew him, but from what you've told us...you're better than he's ever been. I mean, if we don't think about how it was during the war. Now? You've changed for the better, Sen. No matter what you think."

Sen made a thoughtful noise, but said nothing.

O

The sound of chatter echoed around them.

Katara and Sen made their way through the building before approaching a woman standing behind a desk. She smiled brightly when she saw them; it was routine and familiar.

"Good morning!" she greeted.

"Good morning, Lin," Sen said. "I've received a promotion today. I'm very excited to tell Azula."

Lin chuckled, nodding. She looked down at the scroll laid out in front of her before she furrowed her brow and her smile slowly disappeared.

"Oh..." she said, awkwardly, "This is... I'm sorry, Sen. Azula isn't receiving visitors this morning."

Sen and Katara looked concerned.

"What? Why?" Sen asked.

"She's...had some of her privileges revoked this morning," Lin explained, hesitantly now. "She started hearing voices and became difficult for the doctors to deal with. So, I'm sorry to say that she's been medicated and isolated for the time being. Oh! Please, don't be upset. I'm sure she's going to be okay."

Sen scowled now, shaking her head. She slapped her hands on the counter and they were licked with flames. "What? Can't I just see her?"

"Again, I'm sorry." Lin truly looked it. "I'm afraid you can't until tomorrow."

Sen started to argue, but Katara put a calming hand on her shoulder. "Sen, come on," she urged, gently, "Let's just go. We can figure it out later, okay?"

The older woman growled impatiently, but didn't argue as she was led outside. There was no need to make it more difficult than it had to be, after all. Katara said nothing as they made their way around the length of the building, leading Sen on. She seemed focused, attentive to the guards patrolling the area before she stopped at a window made up of padded bars. Katara drew water from the pouch at her side and looked at Sen, bending it into a tower of ice beneath Sen's feet.

Sen looked surprised for a moment.

"Azula's cell should be right here. I can lift you up so you can talk to her for a little. But you only have a short time before the guards find out." Katara whispered. "So whatever you need to say, say it."

Sen smiled and nodded at her. "Thank you, Katara."

She peered into the bars, looking around the dark room. She could barely see, so she snapped her fingers, bending a little flame in the shape of a moth that fluttered about until it stopped at a shape hunched in the corner, wrapped up in a straight jacket with ankles shackled tightly. Golden eyes focused on the moth through ribbons of long, black hair.

"Sen, is that...?" Azula's dry, hoarse voice echoed in the room. "Is that you over there?"

Sen looked around the room, eyes wide. "Is this Isolation?" she whispered, "Spirits, it's no better than a prison cell." She looked down. "Katara, come look."

Katara bent the water in her bag into another ice pillar as she lifted herself up next to Sen. She peered into the room and she also looked shocked. The room was nothing more than cold, damp stone and sealed with a heavy metal door. There were webs and insects.

"This is horrible!" Katara exclaimed.

"I'm touched by your concern, snow peasant..." Azula was still capable of sarcasm, even despite her condition.

Katara glared at her now.

"Sen, did you learn a new trick with your firebending?" Azula watched the fiery moth with a weak laugh and it seemed to take a great deal of energy for her to form even the slighted bit of her usual snark. "It's adorable."

"Sen...I think she's sick," Katara told the other woman.

Azula rolled her eyes with disgust.

Katara scowled at her, but saw no point in arguing. She looked at a worried Sen. "This cell is drafty. It doesn't look like it's been used a lot." She glanced over at Azula, not used to seeing the firebender look so...pitiful and weak. "Maybe they extend it strictly for her."

Sen looked horrified and Katara quickly explained. "Sen, I know you care about her, but not everyone sees her the way you do. You know that."

"Azula..." Sen wanted answers. "How often do they send you here?"

Azula rolled her eyes with amusement and seemed more interested in the little fire moth. Her head twitched as she followed its movements like a weak, beaten animal. "As many times as I misbehave or as they see fit." She smiled with a show of teeth. "This hospital is quite old, Sen. It used to be a prison before they had a change of face, did you know that?"

Sen's lips thinned and her eyes darkened. She scaled down the length of ice and Azula chuckled as she listened to Katara disappear and try to calm the other woman. But Azula knew that Sen was known to have a temper. She watched the fiery moth vanish along with Sen.

"Sen," Katara warned, "Sen, wait. I'm sure they have an explanation for - "

"Oh, I know they have an explanation!" Sen growled, "And I'd like to hear it from their own lips before I burn it all down!"

Azula leaned against the wall in silence until she heard HER voice.

Ursa was standing there, hands tucked into the sleeves of her robes. She had been a cursed image in her head for a long time; ever since Azula had been taken away to stay here at the institution and after her embarrassing defeat at the palace. Her mother haunted her very steps every waking hour. But she knew it was a face of her own fears. She knew deep down why her mother was there.

" _She cares about you, I see._ " Ursa said, watching the window with a sad smile.

"Oh yes, here we go..." Azula snapped, glaring at the image with disgust. "My mother, once again, pretending to care about me."

Ursa looked down at her, pain in her eyes. " _Azula, you know I've always loved you._ "

"Be quiet!" Azula spat, jerking her head away from her.

She kicked her leg out at the illusion, ridding it away for the moment. Her angry sounds devolved into fits of coughing until her chest ached and she laid down onto the icy floor, struggling for warmth.

O

Zuko was stunned when he heard the news.

"What?"

Sen smiled coldly at him, her eyes a storm of anger. "Yes! They keep her in the institution's old prison cell as punishment!" She began to pace back and forth, ignoring the stares she received from the others around them. "She's sick right now and I truly hope you have words to convince me not to burn the entire building to the ground for - "

Zuko shook his head and bid away a few guards who had been drawn by the commotion. Even the new Fire Lord understood what Sen was capable of doing and didn't underestimate her. Aang and the others didn't seem so sure of this, but Zuko wanted to bring a new era of peace and understanding, even to his sister.

"Sen, I'm going to visit my sister. I want you to come with me," he told her, his words firm enough that he meant business. "We can talk to these doctors and get my sister the help she needs."

Sen was content with that response. She saluted him. "Thank you, Fire Lord."

"I know how much you care about her." Zuko continued.

"I do..." Sen's cheeks darkened at the stares her response earned.

The group made their way to the institution and Sen was given a tray of tea to give to his sister; Azula had a tendency to be more easy to manage when Sen was around, despite her remarks that insisted otherwise. Suki was there, frowning at Zuko in disbelief.

"You're bringing her tea?!" she exclaimed, "Zuko, she's your prisoner, not your guest!

Zuko frowned at her. "She's still my sister."

Sen approached Azula, who was sitting in a wheelchair, still bound in her straight jacket and unable to move. In the light of the room, she looked even worse than when Sen and Katara had first seen her; a pale, skinny ghost with ribbons of damp hair framing her face.

"I have tea for you," Sen told her, kneeling down at her side.

Azula glanced beyond her and smirked at the sight of Zuko berating the two doctors who often dragged her away. She laughed slightly.

"Oh, looks like little Zuzu's handling it well." she remarked.

"Mmm, he is. He had to convince me not to burn this whole place down." Sen heated the tea a little with her bending and chuckled sheepishly when Azula laughed at the thought.

"I admit. It would be quite a sight seeing the bonfire." Azula quipped, "Give them a little show all the way to Ba Sing Se."

Sen tested the tea with a small inhale before smiling her approval. "Ah, it's not too hot. Good. You can drink this. It'll make you feel better."

Azula made a face and took a sniff of the tea. "It smells terrible."

A gentle laugh from Sen. "I know. It does. But it'll help. I promise."

Azula eyed her almost suspiciously before sighing. "Fine."

She allowed Sen to hold the cup to her lips for a drink. The entire time, she watched her and Sen watched her right back with a warm smile of assurance. Zuko approached them after a while and looked down at Azula hesitantly.

"I thought the tea might lend a little...dignity." he explained. "I didn't know what was going on, but those workers won't be here anymore. I'm ordering the old prison closed off."

Azula took another drink, coughed and smiled widely at him in response. Zuko looked back at her, features grave before he continued. "I know this is risky, but I'm going to tell you the truth. I feel disconnected from the good in my own family...and in my own nation. There are a whole lot of reasons, but I believe finding my mother would help me reconnect. I've tried talking with our father, but it's gotten me nowhere."

Sen frowned curiously at him.

"He refuses to tell me anything about what happened. So I have an...idea. You are the only person he will talk to." Zuko continued, "And Sen. You're the only one Azula will talk to. So, I think we can come to some kind of understanding. Tell me, then...what do you want in return for helping me find mother?"

Azula crowed with laughter. "Don't be silly, Zuzu! The satisfaction of serving the Fire Lord in some way will be compensation enough!" she told him, her tone oozing with contempt. "Besides, not a day has gone by since you put me in here that I haven't wondered - "

Azula suddenly looked into a mirror at her left and saw her mother looking sadly back at her. Sen followed her gaze and looked concerned, even though she saw nothing there. She remembered how Lin explained the voices Azula had been hearing and wondered if she was seeing her right now.

" _I love you, Azula. I always have and I always will_." Ursa told her.

Azula's pained expression was only for a second before it transformed into a wide eyed grin. " - What exactly happened to our dear mother?"

O

Zuko, Ty Lee, and Suki were escorting Azula, in a straight-jacket and wheelchair, down the streets of the Fire Nation Capital City. Sen refused to leave her side and started talking about little incidents that had happened while she was absent - things that seemed to amuse Azula more than anything. It earned an occasional chortle, grin and laugh with every little sordid tale. Zuko stopped only once to address the others as Sen and Azula talked alone together.

"Suki, Ty Lee, I appreciate your help tonight. Go get some rest. I'll take it from here." he assured them.

Suki didn't seem so sure. "Zuko, I'd feel a lot better if we accompanied you the rest of the way."

"No, I can escort Azula on my own. Now that Sen's with her, she can handle it. I insist."

Ty Lee was worried either way, even as they walked off. She called back to Zuko. "Be careful! The chi blocking's gonna wear off soon!"

Zuko glanced back at Sen, who was bending a little ball of fire in the shape of a moth. It fluttered around her head as she explained the trick she'd learned from Aang. For something so small, Azula seemed relaxed by the sight. "Don't worry. She's not going anywhere."

He approached the two women now and looked at Azula.

"I've asked the palace staff to prepare your old room. I'd like you to stay there instead of the institution." he told her. "You'll be guarded every minute of every day, of course, but it'll be more comfortable for you."

"May I stay with her?" Sen asked.

Zuko smiled a little. "Of course."

Azula started to add a witty retort before she lost herself in a fit of coughing. Sen looked at her with concern before frowning up at Zuko.

"Can we at least get her out of this straight jacket?" she asked.

Azula leaned her head back against the wheelchair, regarding Zuko with a smirk. "You heard her, Zuzu." she told him. "I need a bath and you don't seriously expect me to get clean properly this way, do you?"

Zuko's eyes narrowed; he was suspicious and that wasn't going to change for the moment.

O

Sen sat down at the seat furthest away from the bath as servants worked to tend to Azula. The room was hot, the air steamed by those bending the water to heat it to Azula's preference. Once she was undressed, Sen lowered her eyes and looked away, refusing to look back until Azula was properly in the water.

A few fits of coughing and one of the servants spoke, albeit hesitantly.

"This water will help you feel better..." she said.

Azula smiled a little, though it was unkind. She glanced over to Sen and tilted her head with a laugh.

"Sen, don't be such a prude. Get over here."

Sen glanced at her sheepishly with a nervous laugh before approaching and kneeling down at the edge of the bath. A few fleeting glances from the servants around them - they were intrigued by the interaction, but remained silent as was best for their well being.

"So...about your mother..." Sen began.

Azula's eyes darkened in thought. "What about her?"

"Zuko seems to believe you can help him find her," Sen continued, "I think that's why he brought you home. Do you..." She looked worried. "Do you want to find her?"

"What makes you think I don't?"

Azula's smile was crooked, her eyes filled with distractions. Sen made a face, lowered her eyes before she looked at the still-smiling Azula.

"It's just..." Sen hesitated again. "When I arrived, Lin said you've been hearing voices. I only want to see you get better. If you feel this will help, I'll support you along the way, but..."

Azula sighed and leaned forward, resting her head in her arms. She was clearly bored with the discussion before glaring at the side where one of her servants had been staring at her. The look was so chilling, so demented that it made them wither where they stood.

"Sen, relax." she finally said, her gold eyes darkening a little. "We're going to look for my mother, get this incessant nagging out of my head and everything will be just fine."

Sen nodded her approval. She didn't mention the voices anymore, but still worried about it either way.

After her bath, Azula made her way to her old room and Sen followed with a few guards. They stood outside as the two women were left alone. Sen took a moment to appreciate the contents of her surroundings; elegant drapes, tapestry, four poster bed. She was suddenly aware of that memory when she'd been there, looking for that intruder Azula believed was there. She remembered how she'd waited outside her door so that Azula could properly sleep.

"Sen, come here."

Azula was in her robe of fine gold and red fabric, already sitting at the edge of the bed. Sen made a small, nervous laugh and took a seat beside her. She felt warm, embarrassed by her awkwardness. Azula found it charming a little; she was used to seeing Sen fierce, brave and powerful.

"Are you really going to act like a little schoolgirl or are you going to undress and lay down with me?" she quipped.

Sen swallowed thickly. "Forgive me."

Azula had always assumed that Sen had been a pure woman - after all, she wasn't approachable to the common folk and most would cower when she came close to anyone. But the nervous gestures, the fleeting smiles more or less proved it. She chuckled a little and Sen blushed deeply at the sound.

Ursa was still there watching them from the corner. " _She's shy, Azula. She's always hoped to be with you, but never expected to finally have it. Be gentle._ "

Azula sighed, long and annoyed. "Do you EVER stop talking?" she barked, at the illusion.

Sen looked startled. "What?"

"Nothing just..." Azula began to pull at the tie around Sen's waist. She made a few frustrated noises, annoyed by the cloth. "Ah, get this off. I won't have you in my bed wearing this armor."

Sen obeyed and rose, gingerly disrobing into her under clothes with a little help from the other woman. Every touch sent her heart fluttering; it was so simple and she was so taken by the slightest contact that it was embarrassing. Azula raised an eyebrow and eyed her up and down, certainly impressed with the muscle presented before her. She tapped a thin finger against her lip and smiled, tilting her head as she studied Sen for a few moments.

"Well, you're bigger than I remembered you being." she joked, with a coy laugh.

Sen laughed and scratched the back of her head. "I've been doing a lot of work to stay in shape."

"Mmm, it shows. Come here."

Azula patted the bed with one inviting hand and Sen stiffly climbed into the sheets, pushing aside the surreal feeling of sleeping in the bed of royalty and next to Azula at last. She shifted a little for comfort before she felt the other woman shiver against her and curse.

"Ugh, I can never get warm enough..." Azula muttered, frustration in her voice, "Ty Lee chi blocked me before I left the institution. Sen, can't you do something?"

Sen looked at her, raised her hands and held Azula's hands in hers, rubbing them for warmth. The princess raised an eyebrow and laughed weakly, stifling a few more coughs. Sen's hand warmed with the slightest evidence of firebending and in a way, this was nice. She could certainly appreciate the warmth of Sen's body and the effort. Perhaps her larger size generated more heat than most and it brought Azula closer to her to get as much out of her body heat as possible. It certainly stopped her shivering for a good bit.

"I can stay awake for you, if you'd like." Sen offered, with a shy smile.

"No, no, don't do that." Azula made a face.

Sen's cheeks were still red and she continued to caress Azula's icy hands to help warm them up and for a second, the contact felt too intimate to her. Azula watched her face, searching for a few falsehoods, perhaps. But Sen just seemed nervous to be this close to her. It was adorable and somewhat hilarious to her, in a sense. She couldn't help but ask, even if she already knew the answer. She just wanted to hear Sen's response.

"You've never been this close to a woman before, have you?" she asked. Her tone wasn't unkind, just interested.

Sen laughed, lowering her eyes. "No..."

"So...you haven't even tried. Knowing I was locked away?"

"No."

"You didn't know if I was ever leaving."

"I didn't."

Azula didn't know what made Sen different from Ty Lee and Mai; she was far too genuine, far too happy to be around her too much. It made no sense after everything that had happened. But even Azula yearned for that contact, no matter the air she put on for others.

" _She cares about you, Azula. You know that._ " Ursa's voice was back.

"She won't shut up, not even for a second..." Azula growled, hiding her face behind her messy locks of hair.

Sen glanced around, frowned thoughtfully before she looked at her. "Is she here right now?" she questioned, her voice soft.

Azula frowned back at her, not quite sure what she was getting at. She looked over the sheets, studied her room before spotting Ursa sitting in the chair, watching them. She sighed impatiently, nodding her head and Sen smiled sadly at her.

"Then just look at me." she encouraged.

"What good would that do? I can still hear her if - "

"Then talk to me."

Azula sighed, long and loud. "Fine. What do I even talk about? The weather?" She waved a dramatic hand in the air. "The absolutely DELICIOUS food they gave me in the nuthouse?"

"Whatever you want." Sen just wanted her focused on that.

She started to talk about everything and nothing. It seemed to help as it distracted her from her mother's incessant image in the corner. Ursa was gone and for the moment, it was pleasant to just have someone listen and eventually, she had tired herself out long enough to sleep. Her face was buried in the crook of Sen's neck and she mumbled a little, but Sen didn't mind. She was a little embarrassed and shy, but finally having her here beside her was good.

O

When Sen woke up, she was startled to see Azula looking right down at her.

Her eyes popped wide and she noticed the princess laying directly on top of her, straddling her waist and frowning impatiently. She must have been in that same position for a while, just waiting for her to wake up. When she saw the bright red expression on Sen's face, she brightened - far too cheerfully.

"Good! You're awake!" she said. "Come on! We need to get moving. Zuko's coming and I need to get to father's secret room first."

Sen swallowed thickly, nodding.

Azula was escorted by the guards once she was properly dressed and Sen took a moment to gather her senses as she prepared breakfast with Katara. She was quiet - too quiet - and Katara noticed the funny way Sen seemed to focus on everything around her.

"Alright, fess up." Katara said, with a knowing smile. "What's wrong?"

Sen blinked, looked at her. She quickly looked away and shook her head now. "What? Nothing's wrong."

"You're lying. Do I need to bring Toph in here?"

Sen sighed impatiently, peering into a mirror nearby and studying her grimacing half of her face. "No, you don't have to." she said. "I just... Alright, I'll tell you. Azula and I were together last night."

Katara stared at her, stunned. Then, a grin slowly stretched across her face. "That must have been...something." She strained her words, attempting not to giggle.

"We didn't do anything." Sen argued, making a face. "Why are you laughing?"

Katara chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I'm just teasing you, Sen. Relax. I think it's sweet you're taking things slow. Though don't expect Azula to follow suit. She's not exactly known for her patience these days."

"I don't understand how these things work..." Sen mumbled, shaking her head.

Katara started to prepare a pot of tea. "Yeah, it can be tricky."

Sen looked at her now, remained silent. She hesitated before responding with more conviction. "I don't understand how these things work."

Katara looked up at her sharply now. She raised her eyebrows, astonished by Sen's discomfort. She set down her water pouch and put a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"Sen, wait..." she said. "You've never...?"

Sen groaned now, rolling her eyes. "UGH. No, of course I haven't. Do I look like someone people would throw themselves at?"

She covered her face with two hands and Katara patted her back with a comforting smile. "Hey, listen, it's okay," Katara assured her, "There's nothing wrong with that. I mean, sure; It'll be weird when you do that for the first time, but that's normal."

"Please stop helping me..." Sen groaned, in her hands. "I already feel like a fool."

Zuko suddenly raced by the room and the two women looked up. He was breathless, eyes wide and frantic. "Where'd she go?!" he demanded.

"Who?" Katara asked.

"Azula!"

Zuko rushed through the palace hallways and they followed behind him in a small room. There was a large poster of the fire element insignia on the wall, with candles and a shrine with Chinese characters written on it. Zuko reached out and touched the poster.

"Still warm." he said.

"Azula?" Sen called.

Zuko bent fire at the symbol and the poster shifted to the right, revealing a secret passageway of stairs that led into the shadows. Zuko entered the stairwell and the two followed behind him. The path brought them up into a room lit by a single braiser in the center. Toward the back of the chamber, Azula was there, rifling through a large chest.

"They're here, just like father said!" she exclaimed, gleeful; her eyes were wild, nearly crazed, "He overcame her control long enough to give me the truth!"

Zuko looked around. "What is this place?"

Azula smiled at him. "One of father's many secret chambers. You really should have come exploring with me when we were little, Zuzu. But your fear always held you back." she sneered, holding up a small stack of letters between her index and middle fingers.

Sen walked up to her. "What are those?" she asked.

Azula grinned. "What, these? They're many years' worth of letters that she wrote," she explained, her pupils dilating and the dark circles under her eyes deepening. "and they're the key to finding her! Come have a look!"

Zuko was tense and he reached out. "Give me what you're holding."

Azula's grinned widened and the letters in her hand were ignited in a bright burst of blue flame. Zuko looked horrified and Sen was too stunned to speak.

"Ha ha! Oh Zuzu, you should see the look on your face! Priceless!" Azula sneered, cackling.

Zuko glared at her now. "Azula, what's wrong with you?!"

"Why don't you ask her that?! I'm sure she'd be happy to tell you!" Azula's humorous tone was gone, replaced with cold venom. She pressed her hands to the sides of her head as if to block out a voice that no one else could hear. "Look, believe it or not, dear brother, I want to find her as much as you do. So I'll tell you what was in those letters, on one condition..."

O

Zuko's announcement to his friends went by ignored by Sen as she read from the book Katara had given her. The waterbender had been sitting beside her, studying the details of it with a blush and a giggle. Sen's brow knotted and she tilted the book somewhat.

"Well, I certainly don't understand it." Sen replied, tilting her head to follow her movements. "Can people do those things?"

"Sen!" Azula called.

Sen let out a rather undignified yelp and extinguished the book in a burst of firebending. Azula made a face and Sen smiled down at her from the saddle, blushing.

"Sen, that was an original..." Katara whispered, with dismay.

"Sorry." Sen whispered back.

Immediately, the others reacted at the sight of Azula, drawing their weapons and pointing them at her. Sen scowled now, leaping from Appa's saddle and standing in front of the other bender, her own hands flickering with flames. Katara immediately joined the fray, standing between Sen and the others with a shimmering orb of water already in hand.

"Stay back! We don't want to hurt you!" Aang warned.

Sokka scoffed, shaking his head with his boomerang poised high. "Speak for yourself, Aang!"

Sen glowered menacingly at him. "Try anything stupid and the only thing you'll be eating is fire."

Azula just crowed with laughter at Sokka. "Ha ha! Ignorant peasant! You really think you can take me on with a boomerang?"

"Let's find out!" Sokka snapped.

Suki and Ty Lee immediately made their way up to the scene, dressed in their Kyoshi uniforms.

"Sokka, stop! Let Zuko explain!" Suki insisted.

Sokka grinned happily, rushing up to his girlfriend to hug her. Azula rolled her eyes with disgust and Zuko waited until they were finished before he addressed them. They needed answers.

"Azula was the one who got the information from Ozai. Because she helped me out, we made a deal. She's going to come with me to look for our mother," he explained; he gave a fleeting look to Sen to reassure her, "And she's going to travel unbound. With dignity. I want you all to come with us."

Aang scoffed in disbelief. "No offense, but that sounds like the worst plan ever!"

While they continued to talk, Azula and Sen took their spots on the saddle. Sen had dismissed Wataru to the Fire Nation guards, assuring the creature that she'd return after a few days. Once she was back on the saddle with the other woman, Sen smiled at her and Azula stretched out a little before leaning back.

"How does it feel to be free?" she asked.

"Mmm, it has its perks," Azula replied. She made a face, glancing down at Appa before watching the others. "They'd better be careful when they put my luggage on this shaggy beast."

Ty Lee scoffed up at her. "Why do you have to be so mean all the time?"

"Appa has feelings, too!" Suki added.

Aang gave Appa a little pat when the creature grumbled lowly. "I know, buddy. It'll only be for a little while." he assured him.


	2. Whispers

~o~

Sen was crouched in the river with her trouser legs rolled up, eyes scanning for fish. 

"Come here, fish..." she whispered. "Fish? Fish. It's time to face your doom."

Sokka watched her from the side, arms folded across his chest. "Uh, what are you doing?"

"Catching breakfast."

"Wouldn't it be easier to use a net?"

"Probably, but my father once called this 'Fire Fishing'," Sen explained, gently running her hand across the water as she studied the surface with a smirk. "You see, all you do when you see a fish is..."

She bent a blast of fire into the water, sending several fish flying through the air. With agile speed and skill, she caught every single one by their tails and stood there, beaming with a wide smile of pride. Sokka stared at her, frowning thoughtfully before he nodded.

"Okay, that is pretty impressive. Tell me more." he said, in a fascinated voice.

Zuko sat at a campfire with the others, explaining the matter of his mother to them. So far, they had little to go on, but it was the best they had to work with.

"Thanks to Azula, I've managed to get some new information about Ursa, my mother," Zuko explained, "It turns out she's from a small town called Hira'a on the outskirts of the Fire Nation. I'm going to look for her. Uncle's agreed to watch over things at home while I'm gone."

Well, that was some good news. At least Azula had been able to talk to Ozai.

Katara unraveled a map and laid it out in front of her. "There's a small fishing village not far from here," she told them, "We should resupply in the morning and see if we can get any information there."

"Sounds good." Aang replied.

They looked around and noticed that someone was missing. Katara immediately jumped to her feet, frowning. "Where's Azula?"

Zuko's eyes widened and he quickly rushed off to find his sister.

Meanwhile, Azula was pacing around a stream nearby, mumbling to herself before she noticed an illusion of Ursa looking up at her from the water. Her eyes widened at the sight and her chest clenched. She didn't know what to do to keep Ursa from constantly appearing and tormenting her.

" _You're only hurting yourself, my daughter._ " Ursa told her.

Azula glowered down at the stream. "Don't pretend to care about me! You thought that you could break me, didn't you, by having Zuko lock me up in that institution?!" she spat, her voice high with rage. "But I'm stronger than you realize! I used all that time alone to figure out the truth! You've been conspiring to take me down from the day I was born!"

Zuko could hear the sound of her voice nearby as he searched for her. He was drawn toward it, frowning with concern. He had no idea who she was arguing with, but had to stop her. Not for her sake, but for the other person.

Azula pointed an accusing finger down at the water. "Even when I was born, you saw in me something you never had: Power! That's why you think I'm a monster! My power makes you fear me!"

Ursa shook her head. " _No, you are confused._ "

Azula scoffed now, eyes wandering. "I still haven't figured out the details. How did you contact Zuko, Ty Lee, and Mai even after you disappeared? How did you show that snow peasant Katara how to defeat me?"

Ursa held out her arms to her. " _I love you, Azula. I do._ "

Azula let out a fierce shout, clutching her head with her hands. "This - this must be your most treacherous act, Mother! You've turned my own mind against me!"

She charged a bolt of lightning in her fingertips and shot it directly into the water, causing it to explode upward and destroying the vision. When the water finally stilled, Zuko was standing on the opposite side, facing her. He looked worried.

"Who are you talking to?" he asked.

Azula scoffed, breathless as she took a moment to calm herself. "Why do you care?!"

Zuko stared at her for a moment, concern in his expression. Then, he sighed, shook his head. "Keep to our deal, Azula, and we'll find her. Together."

Azula brandished her sparking fingers at him, but looked startled when Sen approached them, holding up more fish she'd caught with Sokka at her side. Somehow the sight was calming.

Sen was smiling with pride, but looked concerned when she noticed the state of Azula's condition.

"Are you alright? What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing happened, don't worry," Azula lied, "Just... move."

She pushed her way passed the two without another word. Sen watched her go, then sighed sadly and looked at the other two.

"Sen, don't sweat it," Sokka assured her, "Let's just get this fish cooked up."

O

Behind Zuko, under a tree, Azula was curled up in the fetal position, twitching and muttering in her sleep. Sokka was instructing Sen the way to clean and debone the fish, all the while the firebender watched. She had never seen a method that he'd done before.

"Aaand there you go." Sokka instructed.

Sen smiled at him. "Ah! Thank you."

"... my own mind ... you've turned my own mind ... against me ..." Azula mumbled in her sleep.

Sokka looked back at her, then frowned at Zuko. "After everything that's happened, you're still gonna let her sleep with her hands unbound?"

Sen stared at him. "She deserves a chance."

"Alright, alright. But I just don't get what you see in her, Sen," Sokka told her, with a disbelieving frown and a shrug of his shoulders. "The whole time, she's tried to kill us. She uses you - "

"I do those things for her because I WANT to, Sokka." Sen argued, glaring at him now.

Now it was Zuko's turn to argue with Sokka. "It'll be fine. Aang, Katara, and I agreed to watch her in shifts through the night."

Sen looked worriedly over to Azula and Katara caught the look. She gave her a reassuring smile and stood up. "I got this, Sen. Just finish with the rest of the fish."

The other woman nodded once.

Katara approached the place where Azula was resting. She knelt down, retrieved a blanket and gently sat down beside her. The move startled Azula awake, who gave a loud gasp; her eyes widened and she looked around sharply for signs of a threat before noticing her.

Katara scoffed, throwing the blanket at Azula's head and Azula grunted with disgust, ripping it from her.

"It smells disgusting! Do you ever wash it?!"

Sen laughed and begun bending little flames in the bonfire. She performed a few tricks that transformed them into moths and they fluttered through fiery hoops. Azula's features smoothed out at the sight of the genuine delight on her face. Katara caught the look and laughed quietly.

"Sen seems to be growing attached to your merry little band." Azula quipped.

"Yeah, I guess so." Katara wasn't going to worry about the jibe.

Aang was sleeping in a seated position, as if meditating, on Appa's head. He opened his eyes now, yawned and noticed Sen approaching Azula with some of the fish she'd cooked.

"Azula, I have some fish I cooked up for you," she offered, proud of herself, "I gave you the biggest one I'd caught. I hope it'll help you feel a little better. You should have some to eat. I did notice that you haven't eaten anything since we left home."

Azula scowled at her impatiently. Something about it nagged at her. "Why do you always have to act like that, Sen?" she demanded, struggling to silence the voices whispering in her head.

It drew the attention of those around them and they looked stunned by the outburst. Needless to say, Sen was just as shocked. She lowered her voice, somewhat wounded by her words and wanting an explanation. Perhaps she had mistaken.

"Like...what?" she asked.

"Annoying!" Azula snapped, rising to her feet. "You fawn and poke at me like I'm some sort of specimen! Is that it? Is that what I am? Did my mother send you to me to jab away at me and see if I break?"

"Azula!" Zuko exclaimed.

Sen grunted at the accusation, her eyes shutting briefly. She seemed to attempt to keep herself composed; the comment clearly hurt her feelings. "N-No. I just..." she began. "I mean I..." She looked at her helplessly, unsure of how to answer. "Is this not how it works?"

Katara started to speak and Azula's angry features slowly melted; she came back to reality and Sen sat the fish down, gave her a small salute. Her eyes were brimming, her voice strained.

"I'm sorry, Azula. I didn't mean to be such a pest. I'll...I'll leave you to it."

And with that, she walked away to be alone in the forest.

O

Azula's foot tapped rapidly against the stone.

She thought about Sen the entire time she'd been gone. She found the pushy kindness of the other woman had simply come at the wrong time; Ursa was back in her head, talking to her. Nagging away at her. Sen had just been unfortunate enough to be in the crossfire. She could see it with a more logical mindset now.

A shadow looked over her and Azula glanced up, noticing Katara watching her coldly.

"Oh, it's just you." she said, evenly. Her tone was a bite now. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. Just thought we could talk."

Azula rolled her eyes dismissively. "Right. What sort of talk could I engage with an uncultured - "

"Alright, can you knock it off?" Katara barked, sharply. "I have no idea why Sen puts up with such a bratty little firebender like you."

It drew uneasy sounds behind her; Zuko started to warn her about it, but Aang put a hand on his shoulder, shook his head and decided to watch to see how this would play out.

When Azula opened her mouth to argue, Katara interrupted her. "In fact, I have no idea what she could possibly see in you at all! But she cares about you - SOMEHOW - and spent every second of her life around you! And what do you do? You've done nothing to show any appreciation for it."

Azula's eyes widened with rage. "DO NOT THINK TO LECTURE ME!"

"I'll LECTURE YOU ALL I WANT! SOMEONE NEEDS TO!"

Sokka stepped between them now. "OKAY!" he yelled, throwing his hands in the air.

He grabbed Katara by her dress strings and began to tug her away from the firebender. She glared after her and Azula's fingers crackled with flames.

"Katara, a word?" Sokka said.

"Sokka, are you kidding me?" Katara protested.

"Look, as much as I'd like to see you throw all the ice you want at Azula," Sokka pulled her aside and began to speak, "I don't think you should. I think the two of them just need some time to sort it out on their own. It's just been a weird day for everyone."

Katara still didn't seem so sure. Plus, she was worried about Sen. "Fine."

Meanwhile, Sen had been leaning against an old statue, head in her arm. She had to take a moment to calm herself and collect her thoughts, but she was also tired.

So tired.

Sen hadn't wanted to be such a pest to Azula; she had no example of how to act given the history with her parents. But she assumed those things were what one did to care for someone. Maybe she had been a little pushy, but how else was she supposed to be?

She failed to notice the change in the air. The whispers that followed.

A glittering, serpentine shape moved behind her, made up of starlight. Whispers from a male voice.

"Sen...what are you doing here? Why are you crying?"

Sen sighed, mumbling for a moment before answering. "I was being a fool. Spirits, I am SUCH a fool..." she said, her voice trembling, "Perhaps my father was right, after all."

"Don't worry," the voice crooned, as the shape slowly circled around her neck, "Just rest. Everything will be better by morning. I promise."

"Yes..." Sen's eyes slowly closed. "Rest."

"Rest..."

O

The following morning, everyone was readying their supplies on Appa's saddle.

Azula was waking with the help of Zuko - though she swatted his hand aside with an indignant huff in the process. It was only when Aang approached with a grave expression that they all focused on him. That look never meant anything good.

"Guys, we have a problem." he said.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked.

Aang looked toward Azula and even she had no retort. "Sen never came back last night. I've searched everywhere for her, but I can't find her."

Azula's eyes widened and she rose, immediately rushing off and scanning the forest without a second thought. The sounds of her bending fire drew Aang's attention and he raced after her to stop her from doing any serious damage.

"Hey! Stop!" he insisted, "This forest is sacred. We can't burn it down!"

Azula glared back at him, furious. "Then how do you suggest we find Sen, Avatar? Ride around on that shaggy beast of yours and sing happy little songs?"

Aang looked annoyed and Appa just gave a low growl in response. Katara shot Azula a dirty look before she looked at the others.

"Sen might have gone to that village I was talking about. She can't have gone far without proper provisions." she pointed out.

Azula smiled smugly. "As usual, you're always wrong," she sneered, "Sen's father would put her in the middle of the forest and ask her to fend for herself with nothing. She's resourceful. She'll survive for weeks on her own."

"Aww, I didn't know you cared." Katara's voice oozed with mockery, but she was rather happy to hear such a thing regardless.

Azula gave her a cold look and Sokka spoke up before they could even think of fighting one another.

"Alright, so we check the village," he told them. "We ask around and we find Sen."

Zuko nodded and glanced to Azula. "We'll find her."

Azula's features were of firm resolve. "We WILL."

And so it went; they called for Sen while searching the forest overhead on Appa. Azula was crouched at the edge of the saddle, yelling down for her. Zuko didn't like how close she was to the edge and his eyes widened when she stood up.

"Azula, wait, we're too high up! Get down from there!"

I can't tell you what a pleasure it's been riding with you all, listening to you bicker!" Azula looked back at them, eyes wild with a wide grin; another psychotic episode. "I'll find Sen and I'll be sure to give her your regards!"

Azula jumped off of Appa and began to plummet toward the ground with a determined scowl on her face. This was getting her nowhere and she would find Sen herself. They were all useless.

Aang jumped off of Appa with his glider in pursuit of her. He swooped down and caught Azula in one arm. "I got her!" he yelled up to a panicked Zuko.

Azula smirked up at him. "Nice glider, Avatar. Is it fireproof?"

She reached up with two fingers, catching part of the wing of Aang's glider on fire.

His eyes widened in horror. "What are you doing?! This was a gift!"

Azula jerked from him and Aang lost control of the glider, breaking away and landing clumsily on the ground. She landed safely and started to run away, but Katara was already there, bending the water from her bag and enclosing Azula in a cocoon of ice.

Azula grunted and struggled for a few moments before she looked up at the group, furious and screaming. "Of all the co-conspirators she could've chosen, why an uncultured - "

Azula suddenly cut herself off mid-rant, gasping at the sight of firebending in the distance. The crackling snap of flames in the air also drew the attention of the others as they looked beyond her. Aang took to the air once more and noticed the firebending coming from a nearby village. It must have been the fishing village that Katara had wanted to go to.

"Hey! I can see firebending from here!" Aang called down to them. "It looks like trouble, we'd better go!"

Azula struggled against the ice that imprisoned her. "I'll admit it, all right? I shouldn't have run off on my own like that. After all, we made a deal." she said, looking at Zuko. "And if you can't trust your family, who can you trust?"

Zuko saw the urgency in her stare, sighed and using his firebending, he melted the ice around her. Immediately, she jumped up and raced in the direction of the bending. A part of her hoped it was Sen and she was just taking a moment to burn off some steam.

O

Aang was the first to make it to the village and he was stunned to see people cowering behind stalls and wagons. Others had been singed by fire and many were horrified and confused by what had happened. He stopped a man who was in the middle of bandaging his leg in the road.

"Sir, excuse me," Aang said. "What happened?"

"A firebender with a horribly burned face came through here, searching for something," the man told him, eyes wide and frightened, "She didn't speak, but she just sniffed around. It was...I'd never seen anything like it before."

"Burned face. He's talking about Sen, isn't he?" Sokka looked worried.

Azula scowled now, looking around frantically. "She's throwing a tantrum?"

"You two are made for each other, then..." Katara quipped, in a sotto voice.

Aang suddenly looked up, eyes focused on a shape that darted through the trees before landing gracefully on a nearby rooftop. It was Sen, kneeling with her back to them and sniffing the air once more. She didn't seem to see them and looked to be searching for something.

"There she is!" he exclaimed, pointing.

Azula was already rushing toward her, determined to have her answers. "Sen!"

She lifted her head, still kept her back to them before rushing across the length of a building as if she never even heard her. Azula was startled for only for a second, but continued to pursue her. The others followed suit and Sen didn't react to them. She just continued to run and this enraged Azula even more.

"SEN!"

Her voice was practically a mad scream as she tried to catch up to her. Zuko felt himself shuddering at the scream from his sister; he'd never heard it since the day Katara had chained her down.

Aang jumped ahead, frowning when he noticed the shape of a glittering creature made up of starlight wrapped around Sen's throat.

A spirit.

Of course.

"Wait, guys!" he shouted down to them. "Something's wrong! Sen has something around her neck! I think it's controlling her!"

Katara squinted and the others tried to see what he saw, but they did not. Azula snarled, hands producing blue fire in her fingertips. She didn't care if she didn't see it. Whatever it was, it was going to regret its very existence once she had her hands on it.

"Alright, Avatar," she promised, "Then I'll rip it off of her so that I can stomp it beneath my heels!"

Sen suddenly stopped in her tracks, turning to look at them now. Her eyes were blank, staring perpetually ahead of her. The look was unsettling as it was emotionless; but she smiled widely and the look was foreign on her.

"Avatar!" The voice that came from her mouth was distinctly male, but also female. But it definitely did not belong to Sen. "It's been quite some time. I haven't spoken to the Avatar since you were another life."

Aang could see the spirit who circled Sen's neck; it looked like a snake, but it had translucent, glowing skin made up of glittering starlight. Its face was long, slender and it had a mouth that split vertically. It had white, flickering eyes and spines along its back. But no one else could see it but him.

"Who are you?" Aang demanded. "What do you want with Sen?"

"The human was not planned," came the voice from Sen's lips. "She just happened to cross my path - a formidable firebender who can lead me to what I need. I am Nuwa the Whisperer and I was rendered into a parasite by one of your past lives for the sins of my kin, Húshén the Liar."

Everyone looked confused for a moment, but Azula was the first to step up; she gave an angry shout and jumped at her, but Nuwa reached out and grabbed Azula's wrist, calmly looking down at her. The firebender struggled and shouted out angrily, but her eyes widened when she noticed no change come over Sen. No reaction. She was nothing more than a puppet.

"That...is a good way to have her killed, my friend," the spirit said.

She was tossed to the ground.

Aang shook his head, lost. "I don't know who this Húshén is and I don't know what one of my past selves did to you. But using Sen isn't going to help."

"No." Nuwa replied. "It won't. But the moment I saw into her mind, I knew you'd come for her. You must understand, Avatar. I only want what was stolen from me." A long sigh and Sen's eyes closed. "Ahh, this one's head is a little messy... Small fears. Clinging to the Nightmare. Feeding on the bits it leaves behind."

Azula sat there, eyes wide in disbelief. She looked at Aang angrily. "Can't you do something? You're the Avatar, aren't you? Get rid of it!"

Nuwa laughed softly through Sen's lips, regarding her now. "Azula. Hungry, hateful ready to hurt people. Yet, she's afraid. Afraid to lose the one thing that never left. Behind the stone and cracks, a hidden hurt. Unlearning not to hope for more as it will leave crumbs. Stumbling steps where the wall used to be."

"What?" Azula spat.

"I see the secrets of you all, even as I am bound to Sen, the bender whose chi once radiated with hatred. Bending the fires of violet." Nuwa explained, "Nothing is hidden. All is bared. I am not The Whisperer for nothing."

A gentle sigh now.

"A breath-caught smile from the firebender as the candle lights. The walls are safe and her thoughts silent. She feels fullness with every glance. Old pain still remains in the mirror, shadows forgotten from dreams too real. This side is slow and heavy, but here is what can change. She hurts for her, but it is a hurt she welcomes."

"And if we refuse?" Azula snapped.

The spirit tightened its body around Sen's throat and it earned a thick grunt from the woman. A horrified gasp from Aang and despite such a move, Nuwa sounded apologetic. 

"It would be in your best interest not to do so."

None of them knew what to say.

O

Nuwa led the group through the forest, humming softly through Sen's lips. Azula's hands were still crackling as she ached to pry what she couldn't see from Sen's neck. She was frantic, angry to see Sen in such a state.

She couldn't lose this one, too.

"Nuwa, what do we do to free Sen?" Aang asked.

Nuwa looked down at him through Sen's eyes. "I know the Avatar is capable of retrieving something for me." he explained, "Your past lift stole a sacred stone and sold it to a king. I want it back. Once I have it, I will have no further use of the human."

A glance toward Azula and a thin smile. "She spins in song. She is an admiral who will never send ships of her own."

"Admiral?" Azula furrowed her brow. "Wait, Sen was promoted?"

"Indeed." Nuwa replied, "She was proud to share that news with you. But sharing with others is hard for her." A soft sigh, leaning back a bit as he continued. "Ships launch on changing winds. Dizzy sometimes, like the top of the stairs, but sometimes like dancing. Safe and solid, protecting her and proud for it. She feels like quiet, stronger when you hold her, but she is afraid. She's never done this before. 'Calm yourself' she thinks."

Azula huffed, annoyed by the funny looks she was given. "What are all of you staring at?" she barked.

Nuwa continued, his voice filled with sympathy. "Tender hands prepare a meal for her princess. 'Perfect,' she says, 'It must all be perfect'. The admiral blooms on the bush, remembering the light that shone in her darkness. She knows how to sing again. She is happy when she works to make the fiery princess happy. 'Just one smile. Spirits, I never have enough time with her'."

Azula's finger crackled with electricity. "Will you just get out of her head!" She was growing angry and flustered by the moment. "You sound like a creep!"

"Do you want to hear what she thinks of you?" Nuwa queried.

"No."

Nuwa laughed softly. "It could help you. I know you hear things from your fears. You're afraid. You don't have to be. I know how this looks, but best believe my intentions are pure."

Azula glared toward Aang now. "Avatar, please do something to shut up your pet spirit! I do not want it addressing me until it's free of Sen."

"I can't." Aang told her. "He needs our help. I don't like it any more than you do, but if we show respect and just see what we need to do, he'll let Sen go."

Sokka didn't like this. "Aang, I can't believe I'm siding with Azula on this, but how can we even trust him?"

Nuwa stopped at a clearing and looked around, smiling a little. "Unlike my brother, I am incapable of lies. I am the Whisperer, Sokka of the Water Tribe. My lips whisper only truths. It is a part of the delicate balance that we must all follow."

"The balance..." Aang pondered this, "I keep the balance. My past life...whatever they did to you. I'm sure they had a reason."

Sen immediately stopped and the group nearly bumped into her. Nuwa's voice rang out loud now, discordant and angry. "A REASON?" he thundered, "WHAT REASON IS THERE TO STEAL FROM A SPIRIT? WHAT REASON IS THERE TO REDUCE ME TO THAT OF A PARASITE?"

Aang flinched now and Sen's blank eyes stared at him before she smiled, shutting them and seemingly calming.

"Forgive me, Whisperer." Aang continued, hesitantly. "I didn't mean disrespect. I only want to know the truth. We all do. Maybe if you explain it to us, we can understand a better way to help."

Nuwa sighed softly. "Yes, of course. Come."

O

He led the ground toward a temple ensnared in vines and flowers. There were statues posed in a vast courtyard; two great serpents coiled together, pointed at the sun. Sen stopped in front of one and Nuwa's voice emerged from her lips, sad and bitter.

"The Avatar came here to punish my brother. But we are twins, you see," he explained, "My brother had done things when he came to the human world. He hated them. He sowed chaos wherever we went. But my truths had always kept him in check. I suffered for his cruelty."

Sokka made a face. "So where is this stone?"

"It used to sit here..." Nuwa indicated a platform of stone nearby. "Where humans would come to worship us. When they gave offerings, I would gift them with one truth that they needed to hear."

Aang took a seat on the floor, crossing his legs and closing his eyes. "Maybe if I meditate here, I can find out what happened."

"Very well." Nuwa approved of this.

Aang's tattoos began to glow and the others simply waited for him to find what he needed to in the Spirit World. Azula was standing alone and watching the sky when she heard Sen approach. She looked sharply away when she felt her presence.

"I can't look at her when you're attached to her like a parasite." she snapped. "We have no words, spirit."

Nuwa sighed gently. He looked up at the trees and a smile was in his voice. "The trees whisper as well, but they have no problems." he said. "People come here and mar the branches, but the trees are content."

"They're probably thankful they don't have ears, and can't listen to you." Azula snapped.

"Hm..." Nuwa glanced briefly at her before continuing. "You were happy on Ember Island."

"Your point, spirit?" Azula didn't want to talk.

"You were still sharp, but happy," Nuwa continued, sympathetically. "Blue fire. Icy, but content and cool. Shimmering and glittering, everything was shining within you."

Azula actually chuckled, shrugging her shoulders.

"That's why you're happier being yourself. Not the Fire Lord. You fear the sharp sting of betrayal. It's easier when there are no eyes watching you."

Azula's smile disappeared. "People can only kill you."

"But not Sen." Nuwa spoke his words softly, as if reverently. "Armor perfect. Hair perfect. That mask that hides away the shame. No need to have it anymore. Take it off, let me see how you look. Her boots perfect. Her eyes perfect. She is mine. No one else can belong to me the way she does."

Azula's eyes narrowed venomously. "OUT!"

Nuwa continued, though his voice seemed to focus on Sen; her expression revealed his sympathy. "Wishing but wondering, wounded and wistful. What if she doesn't want me after?"

Azula frowned now. "What do you mean?"

"Sen's mind carries to the clouds when she thinks of you," Nuwa explained, "She sighs happy as she dresses herself to see you. But she also fears that you will grow bored of her. Yet even so, her mind focuses on work, but you are always first to her." He paused, sad. "You fought before I saw her. Blistering stings in the calming storm. 'I thought this was how it was done', she thinks. 'I have no example. How did I do this wrong?'"

Azula sighed long and loud. "Sen's just been annoying a bit. But her heart's always in the right place, I suppose. Does she know she doesn't have to be so...insistent?"

"Your heart is locked. Twin betrayers broke the key, stole the treasure and fled..." Nuwa paused once again. "'What if she does the same?' The old wound will be torn and there will be no more." Nuwa was once more silent before he laughed softly.

"What?" Azula snapped, glaring now at the sound.

"She knows you think she'll betray you. But she tries. Isn't that enough?"

Azula sighed, turning away.

She didn't answer.


	3. White Lies

~o~

Aang sat across from another past life; a man wearing ancient Fire Nation clothes, black hair and a long goatee. He almost looked like Fire Lord Ozai. There was something hard about his features, but also something sad. Aang had been used to that look before. He'd seen it in the face of someone who had lost everything.

"I am Avatar Akira." the Avatar said. "What do you need?"

"Avatar Akira." Aang began, hesitantly. "I've recently crossed paths with the spirit, Nuwa. He claims you've stolen something precious from him and turned him into a weaker version of what he used to be. I called you here because I just want to hear your side of the story."

"It's true," Akira replied, features firm, "Nuwa and Húshén were spirits who claimed dominion over this forest for their own amusement. Did you know it was once populated by a civilization who worshiped them as Gods?"

Aang shook his head.

"Húshén the Liar is the twin of Nuwa." Akira continued to explain, "But it was Lies that sowed chaos. That stone was not just the key to their strength, but a doorway to the spirit world. I deprived them of it so that no others could find it and bring ruin to this place."

"But what good would come from angering the spirits?"

"There are not always good spirits," Akira reminded him. "Even when balance must be maintained..." He hesitated and shut his eyes. "It was Lies who turned the woman I loved against me. I saw only Húshén, not Nuwa. I saw only my bitterness and I sought to end it."

Aang didn't quite blame him for feeling that way, but he knew that Sen didn't have to suffer for what Akira had done. He had to make this right.

"But Nuwa has one of our friends under his control. And he won't let her go until we get his stone," Aang argued, "Please, he just wants to return to the spirit world."

Akira was silent, contemplating Aang's words. "They are twins, young Avatar. I hope you remember that." He hesitated before answering. "The stone is kept in the town toward the south. It has flourished since I've been alive. You will know it when you see it."

Aang released himself from his meditation and looked back at the others.

"Avatar Akira." he said. "He was the one who took your stone. He sealed it away and gave it to a self-proclaimed king in the Fire Nation. He wanted to seal you both away." He sighed sadly. "He was angry. Your brother sowed chaos with the woman he loved."

Aang had been used to hearing of the past deeds of his previous lives and they hadn't always been good. But he always wanted to make it right.

"Yes, that's him," Nuwa whispered, with bitter longing.

"He told me where the stone is," Aang continued, "South in the colonies in a town. It's on the way to Hira'a. We can still make time."

Zuko nodded his head. He was disappointed that he could not find his mother, but this was also important and Iroh had taught him a thing about being patient. He'd waited this long to meet Ursa again. He would wait longer.

"Then let's not delay," Nuwa said.

The group made their way toward the town on Appa; Azula continued to stare at Sen, who watched the sky with the fascination of the spirit. She didn't like this. She didn't like seeing Sen used like a toy by this creature. Azula wanted nothing more than to tear it off of her, even if she couldn't see it. She wanted it done.

"Uncultured barbarian waterbender." Nuwa suddenly said.

Azula frowned sharply at that. "I beg your pardon, spirit?"

"Jaws ache, hands clenched. Words binding. Years of work, favors fought, deals dealt, and the waterbender usurped my position."

Azula scoffed and Katara's interest was piqued. She said nothing and glanced back at the two.

"Remove yourself from my head." Azula snapped, viciously.

Nuwa laughed softly in response. "But then you forgot that for a while. You started to have fun being with Sen. You even forgot about - "

Azula glared now. "Now I'm thinking about something else. Can you guess?" she whispered, her tone filled with acid.

Sen's expression was perpetually blank for a few moments. But her eyes widened somewhat, expressing Nuwa's displeasure.

"My stone would not fit there."

O

Nuwa continued to talk.

And talk.

"Sen? Sen..." he pondered, "She thinks is a simple name. Bland and boring. But it means 'Lotus flower'. There is a spirit she is named after - a forest spirit, to be precise. But her father gave no thought to it. Such a shame. Maybe she could talk to her spiritual counterpart."

He chuckled softly and Katara looked amused for a second. When she caught Azula's angry frown, her own smile disappeared.

Nuwa looked at Azula now.

"Why are you so angry at your parents, Azula?" he questioned. "Deep down, you love them, but you're angry. They mix together, boiling in your belly until they blaze the sides of the cauldron."

Azula's jaw set. She didn't like these questions. She wanted to burn the wretched spirit and she felt her head twisting with every rampant thought.

"Sen is the same," Nuwa continued, sadly, "Even when she loved her father, he did not show that he love her. 'His face, watching as I pass every test. But he is resentful of what I am. I was not born the son he had always wanted. Anything to make him happy. Anything'."

Katara looked toward them sympathetically. Zuko said nothing at first.

"Something we understand..." he replied, quietly.

"Yes, and that anything had her face burned." Azula quipped, folding her arms across her chest and looking away. She didn't want to think of it.

Nuwa sighed softly, peering down toward the forest once before speaking. "Blade bites the arms, whispers laced with anger and pain. Bitterness swims through her veins. 'I'll show him when he stands before me. Let him see how strong I can be'. For the hard hands that should have held her in love, she is harder, faith fallen in folly. Her violence makes the dreams worse, but sends them away faster." He paused once. "He didn't get to say he was sorry."

Azula looked up sharply now. "What do you mean?"

"Her father. He hurt her for being what he didn't want," Nuwa continued, sympathetically. "The world was cruel. He wanted to make her strong. He burned the flower before it could bloom, leaving it charred and ruined. But when he saw the flower sprout thorns, he realized he'd done that. He wanted to tell her 'Forgive me, Sen. I was cruel and evil to you. You are my only child and I destroyed you. I destroyed my family to ease my own pains of failure. Please, let me tell you before they kill me'."

Everyone looked at each other and Nuwa glanced sadly at them through Sen's eyes. "She doesn't know."

Katara felt her eyes brimming. "I don't believe it."

Sokka shook his head. He didn't know what to say.

Aang was sitting silently, refusing to speak about what he'd learned. He didn't like the idea of Nuwa speaking Sen's most important thoughts, but it did teach them a little more about her. Even after Ozai's fall and Sen had grown closer to them, she never really indulged much about herself. Except with Katara and even though Katara was with him, she knew the importance of keeping things in confidence.

"Can someone tell him to stop?" Azula demanded, glaring toward Aang. "Banish him back to the Spirit World or something!"

Aang frowned at her. "Nuwa is trying to help you. We all are. Maybe you should let him."

Azula scoffed angrily. "Well, look at that! Everyone's just being so helpful!" she snapped.

Sen suddenly rose and Nuwa's voice sounded troubled. "My brother."

Aang and the others were immediately on guard; they had their weapons at the ready and their bending prepared for a possible threat as they made their way over the populated town.

"What? Where?" Aang asked.

"He's here. In this town." Nuwa explained, "We're twins, young Avatar. I can sense his presence. This means he must surely sense mine as well."

"Maybe he's a parasite clinging to the self-proclaimed king," Azula said, dryly. "Same as you are to Sen."

"Maybe." Nuwa sounded troubled. "Húshén would take advantage of that situation and use it to his benefit. I have no doubts."

Aang nodded his head and looked at the others. "Okay, when we get there, we need to play this smart." he explained.

"Yes, we need to pry that brother of his away from that stone and crush him beneath our heel," Azula snapped, "Then we can be done with this nonsense once and for all."

"While I admire your decision, it would be counterproductive to upholding the balance," Nuwa said, with dismay, "And you would simply disperse his form, not destroy it. Spirits cannot be killed that way. All you can do is use the stone and send us both home to the spirit world."

Aang looked sympathetic. "I understand."

"We came to the human world to see it. To better understand it and how it works. But I've been doing this for a long time, Avatar." Nuwa told him, his voice quieter. "And I'm tired. Worn out. Húshén is as well. He won't say it when we meet him, but he is. And we both need peace from this place. But I must warn you, my brother is very seductive. His lies are simply the darker fears that you hide away. No matter what he says, you must resist him."

Sokka shrugged his shoulders, but agreed. "Freaky spirit stuff. You got it."

"Then we get to the town," Zuko said, "We find this guy and we get that stone back. No matter what happens, we do this together, understand?"

They all looked to Azula now and she looked at each one before rolling her eyes.

"Whatever." she murmured.

Appa landed on the edge of the town and the group had been greeted by the sights of spears pointed in their faces by five guards in Fire Nation uniform. Azula's eyes narrowed venomously at the sight.

"You'll lower your spears at once," she warned.

"Or what?" one of the men sneered.

Azula's fingers crackled with blue lightning. "How does eating a ball of lightning sound?"

Zuko raised one hand in front of her before he looked at the guards. "We need to see whoever's in charge." he told them. "Tell them it's from their Fire Lord."

They expected a reaction, but the guards just calmly regarded the group, their poses never changing. They hardly seemed impressed by the declaration from the Fire Lord.

"We answer to another power here," another guard told him. "A power that rules us all."

Sen took one step forward. "How unfortunate for you." Nuwa said, a cold chill in his voice, "Tell your power that his brother is here."

The guards looked surprised, glancing at one another.

O

The hall was vast, filled with glittering treasure.

Aang and the others were led through it, glancing around them to study the statues of serpents made in the likeness of the same ones at Nuwa's temple. The treasure that filled the grand hall was stacked in piles, perhaps made in offering to the twin brother.

Nuwa made a thoughtful sound, pausing to study one of the statues.

"Gold, Húshén?" he quipped. "Really?"

The guards approached a throne where an old man was sitting; he looked to be in his eighties, wearing Fire Nation robes that laid across the floor in bunches around his feet. Much to the shock of everyone, they could see Húshén wrapped tightly around his throat and chest. They hadn't expected to be able to see the spirit.

"Well! If it isn't my brother, Nuwa!" the voice that came from the man was smooth, carrying velvet tones that teased every corner of the room. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"Aang, I can see him!" Katara whispered.

"So can I." Azula whispered, her hands touched with blue flames. "That means we can pull him from that old man and take care of this quickly."

"No. Not yet." Zuko told her.

Azula gave a long-suffering groan, slouching her shoulders.

"My brother is a herald of woe and lies," Nuwa told the guards, "Whatever he promised you, he will never deliver. You don't have to obey him."

The man rose and Húshén laughed a little; a tilt of a head and a wide grin on the man's face. "I never tell people to do anything they don't want to, Nuwa." he said. "When I came here to see this human, I had learned he was a descendant of the one Akira had spoken to. The same Avatar who banished us to these wretched forms and stole our stone."

A pause as he advanced toward them now. "Do you know why my brother cannot be seen by the rest of you, but I can?"

Nuwa hissed softly in response. Everyone was tense, prepared for a fight.

"It's because Truth is often hidden," Nuwa explained, for him, "And it is Lies we choose to see and accept first. That is the law blessed to us by Our Father."

The guards continued to keep their spears leveled at the group. But Azula was ready for a fight; she stood in a bending stance and Zuko glared at her.

"Azula, don't!" he warned.

"Brother, as much as I enjoy the pontificating of this parasitic worm, I want Nuwa gone from Sen!" Azula spat, "If all of you are too afraid to do it, then I will!"

The man leaned in close to her now so suddenly and Azula's eyes widened. Húshén laughed softly. "'Let them fall, that's how they learn to be perfect'."

Azula snarled, showing her teeth. "Stay out of my head, worm."

A grin on the man's face. "This anger you're feeling, Azula. This isn't anger for me or my brother. This is the anger you have for you." Húshén said. "You want a fiend because you are the fiend and you don't want to look at that beaten dog behind the cage."

Azula had grown silent and Nuwa scoffed. "Don't listen to my brother's lies. That's all he knows."

"Lies. Hm. Yes, of course." Húshén continued to speak with hypnotic tones. "All of that hate you feel, all of those horrible thoughts you keep is nothing more than a child crying out for her mother's love after her mother shut the door on her. Isn't that right, Azula?"

Azula's lips pursed, her features twisting and her eyes brimming. Zuko had grown silent as well as he watched Azula now. Everything was tense as it was quiet.

"'I don't love my daughter' thinks the Fire Nation Lady," Húshén's voice was filled with glee, "'I love my son. He is representative of all that I care for and there is hope for him. My daughter represents what I loathe the most: my husband'."

"You're nothing more than a disgusting parasite feeding off of humans!" Azula spat, her voice quivering as tears began to pour down her cheeks.

"And you look like the leftovers of what someone told you you are," Húshén continued, without consequence, "Picked away by your own self. You live for the pain of others, yet you have pain in your eyes when someone speaks of your mother. But you hide it behind violence and death. You praise your father, but you don't even see the toymaker's hands as they craft you into the perfect puppet."

Húshén continued, knowing he hit all the right buttons. "'Your mother didn't want you. She didn't even want Zuko. Not at first. You were products of a man she didn't love and to that end, she didn't love you enough, did she?"

Azula gave an enraged shout and bent a blast of blue fire right at the man. Húshén jumped out of the way, flipped backwards - faster and more agile than a man of his age was able.

The guards around them immediately swarmed to attack; fire bending, spears swinging and water bending from Katara. Azula seized one of the spears from a guard by the handle and yanked it from his hands, earning an indignant gasp.

His eyes widened in shock and horror and she brandished it with a wicked grin; with a crackle, it was engulfed in blue fire. He yelped when she jerked it once at his face before he turned and ran. Azula gave chase, cackling and waving the spear.

The entire time, Nuwa was approaching the man under Húshén's control. "Daiki, son of Gao." Nuwa hissed, "You've been under my brother's spell for too long. I know you have the stone. I know it's here."

"Humans. They are beneath us, Nuwa," Húshén hissed, "For centuries, they came to us begging for the truth. They demanded they had a right to it. And when I gave them a taste of what they so rightfully earned, the Avatar put us in these forms."

Nuwa laughed quietly. "You're right, Húshén. Humans are beneath us."

Aang looked above the throne, noticing a glittering blue stone encased in the wall. Was that the stone they were looking for? But he caught the words from Nuwa and frowned.

"It's true, they wander aimlessly in the forest," Nuwa continued, "It's true they are the strays searching every corner of homes, seeking their own meals. And it's true we could be the masters who kick them whenever they inconvenience us or root through our cans. But that isn't our way. That isn't what Father made us to be. We can go home and let them find their own truth."

Húshén huffed, annoyed with his speech.

The guards were quickly subdued. One of them tried to crawl away and Azula spotted him, pinning him to the floor with her heel.

"I would stay still if I were you." she warned, "Unless you're looking to have that hideous beard of your cut off."

The guard whimpered in terror, but stayed put.

Húshén reached out to take Sen by the throat, but Sen's hands were quickly around the serpent's body, squeezing. Her lips pursed, reflecting Nuwa's effort before his voice came out sad. Weary.

"Why do we have to do this, brother?" he said, softly.

Húshén snarled lowly. "They did this to us!"

"Yes..." Nuwa said, quietly. "But..."

He paused when he noticed Aang retrieve the stone from its housing; he was studying it only for a second before looking up toward Nuwa.

"Go, my brother. Be at peace."

Húshén grunted, confused when he caught the brief look toward Aang. When he noticed the bender's tattoos begin to glow, he let out a horrified sound and watched the stone flash brightly. In an instant, he was gone from the man's throat, letting out a parting scream.

The man groaned softly, dropping to the floor. Nuwa sighed with content before he turned to the others as guards quickly moved to help the man up.

"Now, before I go. I want to offer a boon," he said, "A truth, if you will. About Ursa."

Zuko and Azula reacted to that news with surprised sounds.

"You will find her when you find the Mother of Faces." Nuwa explained. "She holds the secret to your mother's hiding place. She is here in this forest. All you have to do is find the siblings."

Azula scoffed. "What? That tells us nothing!"

"I'm afraid most of my truths are rather cryptic," Nuwa told her, with a chuckle. "Such as things are. As for Sen? She won't remember any of this. To her, she simply took a nice long sleep."

Azula frowned, unsure.

Nuwa sighed softly, looked back at Aang. "Avatar, do you mind? I'm quite tired."

Aang nodded his head once. He raised the stone and Sen's eyes closed, mouthing a small 'thank you' before the stone flashed once. Sen's body collapsed to the floor and everyone quickly rushed to her side. Azula was the first there; she reached up with one hand to touch Sen's cheek and for a split second, Zuko saw a glimpse of warmth there. But it was gone quickly when she saw everyone staring.

"What are all of you looking at?" she snapped, "Help me carry her to the Avatar's pet and we can be on our way."

Aang watched them for a moment and looked at the guards. They were trying to revive their king, but Aang shook his head and approached.

"He'll be okay," he assured them, "He's just going to be sleeping for a little while. But I think you should help him when he wakes up. Remind him what being a king means."

The guards seemed unsure, but still nodded.

Sen was carried with the help of Sokka and Zuko. Azula watched her, anxious and troubled by her lack of response. Ursa appeared beside her - the same tormenting illusion as always. She had been away for some time, but she was there again, whispering in her head. But Azula was able to push it aside for now.

Sen felt cold to the touch and she was sure that the wretched spirit had lied to them. They laid her down in Appa's saddle and Katara bent a glove of water in her hand, raising it over Sen's forehead. She smiled a little and looked at Azula.

"She's fine." she assured her, "She'll probably wake up once we're on the move."

Azula, for once, had no witty retort to add. She just watched Sen as the other woman slept.

O

It was evening as they traveled the skies.

Azula was laying down beside Sen, watching the stars. Zuko watched the two of them in silence for a long time; he was never sure what his sister was thinking these days and never sure if she would snap out of nowhere.

Sen suddenly stirred and Azula's eyes widened. She quickly sat up, leaned across Sen's chest and the other woman blinked sleepily, opened her eyes and looked up at Azula.

She smiled and tilted her head. "Hello." she said. "Oh, is it dark? I must have slept quite a bit."

"Hm, you did," Azula told her. Her tone was formal. As it had often been before her mental decline. She put on a good face. "But you fell asleep on this animal the entire way."

Sen seemed a little perplexed by that. She looked around, brow knotting slightly. "I did? Oh, I...don't remember getting up." She rubbed her head with one hand. "I had the strangest dream..."

A few glances between them; hesitant frowns and Zuko cleared his throat, scratching the back of his head. Aang looked somewhat guilty, but said nothing. Azula was too focused on Sen right not to even look at them or offer a retort to their stupid stares. Fortunately, Sen didn't seem to pay them any mind either.

She was surprised when Azula rested her cheek against her armored chest.

"Don't worry about it," Azula replied, with a tired sigh, "We're on our way to find mother."

Sen blinked somewhat, then she smiled, unsure. "Does this mean you're not angry with me anymore?"

Another impatient sigh. "It means that even though you can be insufferable at times, I'm not angry with you." Azula told her. She hesitated, her voice quieting. "Not right now, anyway."

Sen's smile relaxed now and she shut her eyes, putting an arm around her.

It was fine now.

Sokka watched them before he sighed through his nose, looking at Zuko. "Are you sure about this?" he asked. "What if she does something? What if we find her mother? What then?"

Zuko didn't know. "I'll think of something."

Sen drifted off to sleep with the comforting feeling of Azula lying beside her. She wasn't tense or nervous this time. She just felt relaxed against the warmth of the princess beside her. They were together, they were at peace for the moment and whatever had happened seemed further away from her mind.

She only hoped that meeting Azula's mother wouldn't tear them away.


	4. Calming

~o~

It was still dark when Azula awoke from her dream.

She didn't know where the Avatar had gone, but his friends were not far at their own campsite away from her and Sen. Aang had most likely went on his merry way to destroy the stone.

She mumbled a little, rubbed her eyes before looking over and noticing Sen wasn't sleeping beside her in her bedroll by the tree they had chosen. She blinked, eyes widening as she scrambled to look around for the other woman.

(She ran away, didn't she?)

(She wanted to get away from you.)

Too many mocking doubts in her head, too many lies; but it was Sen's calming voice nearby that stopped her, returning her to herself.

"I'm over here."

Azula noticed Sen had chosen to relax in a nearby spring, puzzled by Azula's frantic and worried state. She had clearly never seen her like that before. She sighed, hung her shoulders and rose, walking up to take a seat near her. The water was warm and soothing, tending to her delicate nerves.

"Sorry, I couldn't sleep," Sen said, watching the water. "I thought relaxing here might help. I kept watch while you rested."

"Were you planning on fighting naked if someone tried to jump out at us?" Azula quipped.

Sen grinned and laughed. "I HAVE fought naked before."

Azula stared at her in surprise before she crowed with laughter. "You're hilarious."

Sen smiled up at her, but her smile disappeared and she closed her eyes when she felt the other woman lean in close, cupping her cheek. Despite the heat of the pool, Azula caught the blush on her cheeks. She chuckled a little, finding the awkwardness of Sen's behavior endearing.

A little kiss. The first one between them. A reward, perhaps? No, Azula couldn't call it that. She couldn't think in the same instant with her subordinates. Not with Sen. Sen was different. She was -

There was a tiny note in Sen's throat; relief in such a simple sound. But she couldn't kiss very well and it was clear she had little practice in that regard. Azula would have remarked on her technique, perhaps encouraged a better performance; but Sen seemed to learn quickly as their lips rolled gently over one another. She was adaptable in any circumstance, it seemed, eager to please.

That was nice.

When they parted, Sen laughed softly, albeit shyly; such a battle-hardened warrior so flushed and fair when it came to such things. Her arms were then around Sen's shoulders, her cheek resting against hers. She felt comfortable there and for now, the nagging in her head was gone.

Then, Sen smiled and leaned back a little.

Seeing her relaxed, Azula thought of telling her the truth; for the first time, the truth actually mattered. It was strange for her, really. She'd never thought about -

"I realized we've never had a proper date."

The response from Sen wiped that idea from Azula's mind. She sputtered a laugh of disbelief and leaned back, staring at her incredulously.

"What?" she said.

"Oh!" Sen laughed now, embarrassed. "I mean, I just thought that..."

Azula raised an eyebrow. "Sen, have you even been on a date?"

"...No." Then, Sen looked up again. "But there was that time a girl sat beside me and asked me how I was doing."

"That doesn't count!"

"I thought it did."

Azula grinned and couldn't stop laughing. "You really don't know anything about that, do you?"

Sen made a face, staring down at the water before slowly sinking into it, up to her face. "No..." she admitted.

"I think it's adorable." Azula replied.

Sen glanced up at her before leaning slightly further into the water in embarrassment.

"Don't lean down, Sen." Azula chided, "It's far from becoming. If you want to go about courting me, you need to do it your way."

"My way? Wait, you want me to court you?" Sen brightened now, lifting herself from the water.

"Well, yes, isn't that what our entire thing has been?" Azula was trying to stop herself from feeling flustered by the idea and maintain her control. "Or have you been visiting me constantly for years in the nuthouse for your health?"

Sen sighed, casting her gaze upwards. "I am a warrior. I was raised to be and never was I taught to do these things. But..." She smiled at Azula. "I am willing to learn."

"Good." Azula smiled her approval and waved a languid hand in the air. "Now if you don't mind. I'm going back to sleep."

Sen watched her curl up on the bedroll. She waited only a half hour before quickly dressing herself and making her way over to the sleeping group. Aang was awake on watch, observing this from his perch on Appa's saddle.

Sen knelt down to Katara's side and shook her shoulder.

"Katara, wake up!" she whispered, "I need your help."

Katara mumbled a bit and opened her eyes. "Sen? What's wrong?" she asked, sleepily.

"I need you to do something for me. Could you teach me how to court a woman?"

Katara's eyes widened in the most ridiculous manner.

O

"I really don't know what to do for her."

"Try something from your heart."

"That's the problem. I don't know from experience."

Katara and Sen walked through the shop that early morning, scanning the various items on the shelves. Sen was dressed in a formal men's outfit she had brought with her. Katara had often been curious about why Sen dressed like a man. She had also felt it was fine to ask as they'd become friends.

Sen was studying a sword on a display, running her fingers over it. "This is Sky Metal." she remarked, with a smile. "Amazing! I think this was made from one of my father's mines!"

"Your father made this?" Katara questioned.

"No, but he owned Sky Metal mines," Sen explained, her smile thinning a little. Talking about him seemed to sour her mood to a degree. "He liked to own a lot of things."

Katara thought about what Nuwa had said about Sen's father; she wanted Sen to know the truth, but knew that it would probably devastate her. Given how Sen was prone to temper fits, it would have probably been a bad idea. Maybe she wouldn't outright tell her, but suggest it instead.

"What if your father had regrets about it, Sen?" she questioned, carefully.

Sen stared at her strangely before grinning. "Regret? I'm quite sure he did."

"You don't think it's possible he may have felt bad for what he did when he got older?"

"No, I..." Sen furrowed her brow, perturbed by the question. Then, she quickly shook her head and turned to look elsewhere, her tone taking a slight edge. "No. I don't want to discuss this anymore, Katara."

"But - "

"I said," Sen spoke severely now. "I don't want to discuss it."

Katara stared up at her sadly. "I just thought it would help. Losing a mother, I can understand. But a father..."

"You wouldn't understand." Sen's voice was softer now, emotionless as she studied the sword. She sounded tired. "You have a father who loves you."

_Sen stood, kneeling in the mud as her father was screaming at her to rise, to keep running. His voice was pushed away in the back of her mind through the pouring rain and clapping lightning. She was training. It was cold. She couldn't see through the rain. She was crying, begging to rest. Begging to stop._

_But Arashi was always there, yelling in her ear. Screaming how weak she was. How worthless she was._

_The training resumed. She was a child._

_Only a child._

Another memory came.

_Sen was a little older, standing in a firebending stance. She was bandaged and exhausted from her training in the woods and she was kneeling before an armadillo bear. It roared loudly at her and she screamed back at it before bending an enormous blast of violet flame at it._

And another.

_Sen watching her father as he treated his men from his ship. Watched as he barked orders at them. Watched as they trembled in his presence._

_She was learning from him. Learning to be cruel. To be violent._

And another.

_Sen, older now and commanding her own ship. She stepped down from the plank, flanked by her Sea Ravens. They were standing in bending stances and she held up two hands, laughing softly at what faced them; earthbenders of a small village ready to defend their home with small numbers._

Sen shut her eyes, shaking the memories away. She didn't want to think of them anymore.

"Oh! Sen, look at this!" Katara wanted to bring back the easy mood they had when they'd arrived.

Sen looked back, noticing that Katara had a book in her hand. She blushed somewhat and made a face. "This isn't like the other book, is it?"

Katara giggled, shaking her head. "No. Not at all." she told her. "It does describe courtship methods, though. Since Azula seems to favor her bending, look at what's on this page."

She opened the book and indicated a page that interested Sen. The woman took the book, then brightened with a happy smile.

"This is perfect!" she said.

"Good!" Katara smiled now. "So let's just get this and...oh!"

She quickly rushed over toward something that caught her interest and Sen followed her gaze before she blinked, astonished.

Katara was standing in front of a men's formal outfit on display, complimented by a fancy cloak and boots. She was grinning with pride at her discovery. Sen walked up and ran her hand across the cloak. She smiled a little and looked at Katara, pleased with it.

"This is...nice. I've never seen an outfit like this, before. It would feel good to wear it." she said. "I want to look my best for her, after all."

Katara chuckled warmly. "I know you do. I can help with some of the other stuff, too."

Sen was happy to hear it. Her smile disappeared slightly and she sighed now, making a face. "It's hard to live a life like this," she admitted, quietly. "I'm so used to war. Battle. I can solve problems on the battlefield more than I can solve my own. I'm terrible at this."

Katara didn't blame her for that. After all, Sen was born and raised to be a warrior. She had seen her ferocity in battle and knew that it had always been familiar and simple. She was frightening as a firebender and soldier for the Fire Nation. But her personality was so different from that when it involved these sorts of things. Now that the war was over and there was peace, Sen didn't feel as if she had a purpose.

But she was her friend. She would help her find it.

O

Sen and Katara made their way through the little town, talking about things that Sen would have never gotten the chance to experience. She was curious about Katara and Aang's relationship and what they did. Katara blushed at the question, but shrugged her shoulders and explained it to her.

"Well...you go on dates sometimes," she explained, "Talk about things. Things you like? Things she likes."

Sen nodded, understanding that much. Then, she grimaced. "I wouldn't consider my visits to her at the institution a date, would I?"

"No. Not really."

"Ah..."

"How about flowers? I know this ritual..." Katara began.

Sen made a face. "No good. Azula hates flowers. She burns them every time."

"Charming."

Sen smiled dreamily. "I know."

Katara stared at her strangely before she chuckled, shaking her head. She still didn't understand what it was Sen saw in Azula. But even so, she was happy for her.

"Sen, can I ask you a question?"

Sen looked unsure, but nodded. "Alright."

"Why did you go for Azula, anyway?" Katara asked. "I mean..." She paused when Sen sighed through her nose and realized the question might have been a bit rude. "I don't mean it like that, Sen. I'm sure you're probably tired of those kinds of questions. But I'm asking as a friend."

Sen didn't seem to follow.

Katara smiled and elbowed her. "Come on. Girl bonding time."

"Oh." Sen smiled a little now, understanding. "Well, sure." She hesitated, seemed to think about something before she continued. "I met Azula when I was a little girl. My father would travel to the Capital to meet with the Fire Lord and the other generals to discuss war plans. I would come along. Since I wasn't wanted in the meetings, my father would order me to wait outside in the courtyard until he was finished."

"And then what?" Katara asked, curious now.

"I didn't know what to do." Sen continued, with a small shrug. "I never had a moment where my father didn't order me to do something. So I would sit in the corner and just...watch everything around me."

"You didn't know how to play or anything?"

"You have to understand, Katara; my father forbid everything like that for me," Sen explained, with a sad smile, "I couldn't. I was his heir, essentially. He wanted a son, but he settled for me. So I had to be the new soldier he always planned. I couldn't do things that normal children could do." She sighed long and hard. "So...I sat alone and just...waited for him to be finished."

Katara was intrigued with her story now. She watched Sen with a smile and the other woman glanced briefly down at her before chuckling.

"Well, this happened quite often until I noticed Azula, her brother and her two friends playing in the gardens," Sen continued her story, "This was before my..." She gestured briefly to her scarred face. "...accident, so I wasn't hard to approach. Azula walked up to me when I was just sitting there."

_"You!"_

_Sen looked up, startled to see the princess staring down at her with a frown and her arms folded across her chest._

_"Who are you?" Azula demanded, eyeing her suspiciously._

_"I'm... I'm Sen." Sen told her, quietly. "My father is Admiral Arashi. He's speaking at the war meeting. He told me to wait out here until he was done."_

_"Well..." Azula smiled now, devious. "You could always join us in on a game. We're all the hunters and Zuko's the Boar-q-pine."_

_Sen was unsure, but she had little choice to argue as her hand was taken and she was pulled to follow Azula to the three who had been waiting nearby; Ty Lee, Mai and Zuko. Zuko looked less than enthused to be a part of this game and even more so when Sen was brought in to join. He had little twigs stuck to his body to resemble the animal in part._

_"This is so stupid. I'm not going to be the Boar-q-pine again." he griped._

_"Zuko, come on!" Azula put on a syrupy sweet smile. "Mother told us we should have some time to bond, didn't she?"_

_Zuko rolled his eyes, annoyed._

_Sen was uncomfortable, trying to step away from the group. "Please, I... I don't know how."_

_Azula stared at her as if she'd grown two heads. "You don't know how to play?"_

_"N-No, I..."_

_"Ugh, it's fine," Azula seemed quite eager to get Sen to join. "All you have to do is chase Zuzu around the gardens and pretend. You can pretend, can't you? It's like training."_

_Sen smiled weakly, but nodded._

_"Alright, it's settled," Azula looked pleased and she eyed Zuko with a wicked grin. "Better start running, brother. The hunters are after you now!"_

_Zuko yelped as he was chased by the three girls. Sen hadn't started the chase just yet; she looked hopelessly confused, watching them engage in something she clearly wasn't allowed to do. Azula peeked out from one of the bushes and watched Sen with impatience._

_"Hunters don't stand around, Sen!" she hissed, "Get him!"_

_Sen ran after Zuko, confused as to the point of this game. Mai and Ty Lee ran alongside her and she stared at Ty Lee, completely lost._

_"What's the point of this?" she asked._

_"It's for fun!" Ty Lee told her._

_"Fun?" Sen didn't know what else to do._

_Zuko was charged into by the three girls and knocked to the ground. Azula ran up to them wielding a stick that she pretended to stab into Zuko by sticking it into his armpit. She threw her hands up triumphantly._

_"The beast is slain!" she declared._

_Zuko groaned as he laid there. "This is so stupid."_

_Azula swatted his backside with the stick now. "Boar-q-pines don't talk, dum-dum."_

_Sen was chuckling, but froze when she heard Arashi's angry voice behind her._

_"Sen! Here, now!" he shouted._

_She quickly shot up and made her way toward him, lowering her head when she saw that he was standing beside the Fire Lord himself. Ozai regarded her with a curious smile._

_"Forgive me, Fire Lord, Ozai. She knows better than to engage in foolishness." Arashi's tone was severe._

_The Fire Lord didn't seem to take that to heart. "She's quite a tall girl for her age," he remarked, "Your breeding and training shows."_

_Arashi smiled, pleased with the compliment. He certainly ate every bit of the praise up and seemed to forget about chastising Sen. "Thank you, my Lord. I sought a son, but fate granted me Sen."_

_"Don't think with such an archaic mindset, Arashi," Ozai said. "Sometimes it's a son who can disappoint you the most."_

_He gazed pointedly toward Zuko, who was struggling to pull the sticks from his body. Arashi's cold stare toward Sen softened slightly and it was the first time she didn't anticipate an abrupt punishment from him._

"What about grandparents?"

Sen shook her head. "No. My grandparents never came to see us." she told her. The memory didn't seem to make her sad. "I never met them. I knew they lived in the Capital, but it never really occurred to me to go find them when I was older."

"Never?"

Sen once more shook her head.

It was a sad thing to think about; Katara always had her grandmother growing up after her father left to fight and her mother died to the Fire Nation. Sen really had no one else.

"I've never had friends either, to be truthful." Sen admitted, after sharing the story with Katara. "And if I did, they wouldn't be interested in hearing about this."

Katara chuckled. "Well, We're friends, aren't we, Sen?"

Sen looked confused for a moment. Then, she laughed softly. "You have been a good friend. I never thought we would be after...well, everything."

Katara nodded her head. "Yeah, it's all taking time to get used to it. It took a while with Zuko, trust me. But yeah, Sen. I think we're friends now."

Sen looked happy to hear that.

O

"She's not going to get away with this!"

Azula was enraged, another psychotic episode spiraling out of control as Zuko attempted to get the situation back under control.

"Azula, stop!" he ordered.

She was screaming with rage, unleashing a barrage of fire toward the forest. "Shut up!" she shrieked. "I'll burn down this entire forest if I have to just to shut her up!"

Sokka had chosen to take cover behind a tree and yelped when Azula promptly burned it.

"Azula?" Sen was approaching with Katara and they both looked worried.

Azula's rage immediately diminished and she turned, standing there among the fire with a sweet smile. "Sen?" she said, "Ah! There you are."

Katara was readying the water in her pouch as needed, but Sen shook her head and stepped in front of her, frowning at Azula worriedly.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "What happened?"

Azula looked over her shoulder briefly, then to the others, who were ready to fight her at a moment's notice. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Just small talk."

That evening, Zuko and Aang spoke alone while Katara watched Azula. Aang was concerned about Azula's episodes, but Zuko wanted to constantly reassure him; despite everything, she was still his sister and he wanted to try and make things better for her. It had started with keeping her away from the institution.

Katara glanced over her shoulder with a small smile before looking at Azula. "Hey. I think I saw something down that stream." she said, pointing.

Azula rolled her eyes. "Good for you."

"No, really. I think Sen's doing something. You should check it out."

Azula frowned at her, but she looked only a little interested and sighed, rising. She walked toward the stream Katara had indicated and looked around. She noticed a small candle lit and tilted her head. Murmuring thoughtfully, she noticed another one and followed it down the length of the stream.

"Sen?" she called.

It led her into a clearing where candles had been placed in a circle. Azula raised an eyebrow, studied the little setup before she turned and noticed Sen approaching, wearing the uniform she'd bought from the shop. She looked a little nervous, but was still smiling with pride.

"I didn't quite know what to do until I saw the Fire Nation Courtship dance," she explained, "The candles are there for this."

She stood in a firebending stance and moved her arms in a motion like a circle. It formed a wave of white and red fire that made Azula chuckled, impressed by the sight. Sen carried the fire in her hands before holding up a single flaming orb to her.

"Since you always took pride in your bending, I thought this would be a good way to..." she began, with a shy smile.

"The Courting Dragons dance." Azula interrupted.

"Yes, it didn't take long to study."

Azula approached her, folding her arms across her chest. Her eyes wandered as she studied the little attention to details Sen had put into this.

"Well, looks like you're a true romantic after all." she remarked.

"I...had help, of course," Sen admitted, still holding the flame in her hand.

Azula made a short note of amusement before she studied the state of Sen's attire, running one long finger across the cloak. She grinned a little, leaned back and looked at Sen.

"Well, whoever helped you knows nothing of Fire Nation attire," she said, "This is an outfit men wear when they intend to propose to someone."

Sen's eyes widened with alarm and she looked down, embarrassed. "Oh, Spirits!"

"Don't worry, Sen. I think it's cute." Azula laughed now. She leaned forward and cupped the back of Sen's neck, whispering in her ear. "But you really shouldn't take advice from an uneducated Water Tribe peasant when it comes to Fire Nation courtship."

"I'm..."

"But..." Azula leaned back to study Sen with approval, running her hand through the cloak draped over her shoulders. "It does look good on you either way."

Sen was flattered by the compliment and lowered her eyes. "Thank you."

"Well? Are we going to do this?" Azula questioned, her tone taking on that firm clarity she had once before. "Or will you simply hold that fire and stand there like a dewey-eyed child?"

Sen grinned, nodding her head.

Azula positioned herself in a mirror image of Sen's stance. Her blue flames appeared around her hand and she closed the gap between them, closing it in Sen's hand that held the flame. The fire between their enclosed fists blended into a lovely shade of light blue as they began to dance.

There wasn't a sliver of air between them as they moved; like the slithering bodies of the dragons themselves in the throes of a dance. They were mirror images of one another.

Katara was watching them from a nearby bush, smiling and happy for Sen. Zuko eventually joined her side and watched the sight of his sister's hardened features slowly soften in a genuine look of pleasure. He'd rarely seen such a sight on Azula's face before. Her eyes were softer, her smile relaxed and she was even chuckling at Sen in a way that lacked her usual scathing tone.

"They're both crazy." Katara said, quietly. "But I think, for them, that's okay."

Zuko nodded in agreement. Even he couldn't deny how they worked well together. Azula was calmer around Sen, but he didn't know how that would work when they finally found their mother. Ursa was a triggering person to Azula and he wasn't sure if Sen could help calm her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note - The end of this chapter was inspired by the song "Dancing in the Moonlight" by Toploader. Sen's flashback was inspired by the song "Sins of the Father" by Donna Burke. I also thought a good voice for Sen would be Karen Strassman.


	5. Faces

~o~

The group prepared themselves to investigate Hira'a; they dressed themselves in hoods and robes all the while Momo chose to ate berries from his perch on Sen's shoulder. She looked at the animal with a warm smile and gave him a few little pets to his head.

Zuko flipped his hood over his head. "We need to hide ourselves from the people. We'll get mobbed if people figure out we're the Avatar and the Fire Lord."

Sokka reached into Appa's fur and began to decorate his face with clumps of it into a mustache and beard. He beamed with pride. "See? A fake beard made of sky bison fur! Classic!"

Azula recoiled with disgust. "Get away from me! You smell like a wet possum-pigeon!"

Sokka sneezed and the fur around his face exploded off of him. Sen made a face, shaking her head.

The group made their way into town and noticed a large crowd gathered. The people were all facing in the same direction, gazing toward a raised stage, where two actors were playing their roles. The actors, one in red and yellow and the other in blue and white, prepared for their mock battle.

Sen smiled a little at the sight. "Oh, what's this?" she asked.

"Looks like they're performing some sort of play!" Aang said.

Zuko brightened a little. "I recognize that scene! It's the final battle in Love Amongst Dragons." he explained to them. He looked down at his sister. "Remember when mother used to take us to watch the Ember Island Players perform this play? Afterwards on the beach, you and I would reenact this very scene. I don't get why I had to be the Dark Water Spirit, though."

Azula chuckled, folding her arms across her chest. "Clearly, I made a better Dragon Emperor."

An old man looked back at her, raising a finger to his lips. "Shhh! The best part is coming up!"

Azula glared at him now. "How dare you shush me! Do you know who I - "

"Azula! Please!" Zuko whispered fiercely, trying to keep her calm.

Once the play was finished, the characters kissed, bringing everyone in the crowd, except Azula and Zuko, to their feet, applauding and celebrating; even Katara and Aang kissed. Sen looked down at Azula now and smiled hopefully. The other woman shook her head, but sighed with a knowing smile and leaned up to kiss her.

With the play having ended, the townspeople slowly began to disperse. Zuko moved to ask around and Sen noticed an old woman dropped her bag. She approached, bent down to help her. Picking it up, she handed it to the woman with a friendly smile.

The old woman looked up at her, surprised. "My! Aren't you close to the stars!" she said, with a soft laugh.

Sen laughed a little as well. "Thank you. But I was hoping you could tell me something. Have you heard of a woman named Ursa? My friends have told me she lived here many years ago."

The woman murmured thoughtfully. "Ursa... Ursa..." She looked at a passing old man. "Ursa. Wasn't she the magistrate's daughter?"

A nod from the old man. "Oh yes - ! Rumor has it she - "

He was suddenly cut off by the appearance of a man wearing the mask of the Water Spirit. As he approached right behind Katara and Sokka, they nearly jumped out of their skin. He removed his mask and smiled sheepishly; he was an older man with a thin moustache, hair tied in a ponytail and kind eyes.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you," he told them. He turned to Zuko and shook his hand. "My name is Noren. I'm the director of the Hira'a Acting Troupe. Ursa was once a member."

Zuko smiled hopefully. "Really?"

Noren nodded his head. "We should find a quiet place to talk, away from the crowds. You're all welcome to come to my home. We'll share some tea and I'll tell you everything I know."

Azula frowned at Noren's words.

O

The house was lovely.

Sen was sitting beside Azula opposite the front door. The others were talking to Noren and Noriko - his wife. Noriko was an older woman with long black hair tied up in a bun. She was wearing farm clothes from working and tending to the animals.

Sen noticed a young girl peeking courageously around the door frame at Zuko, who was smiling back. She looked up at Sen and stared at her burned face with curiosity. She was clutching a doll under her arm.

"You and Noren have a beautiful home, Noriko!" Katara said.

Noriko smiled at her. "Thank you."

"How long have you two been married?" Aang asked.

"Almost five years now." Noriko answered, with a smile of pleasure.

The young girl approached Sen and stared at her continuously. She reached up and touched her cheek, which drew a start from Sen. Noren walked into the room and looked at his daughter with a frown.

"Kiyi, it's not polite to stare at our guests." he chided.

Sen looked up at him, shaking her head. "It's alright. She's just curious. I don't mind it like I used to."

Kiyi sat down across from Sen and Azula made a face.

"What happened to your face?" she asked.

Sen smiled sadly. "I was hurt. Firebending." she explained.

"Are you a firebender?"

"I am."

"Did you do that to yourself?"

"No. My father did this to me."

Kiyi's eyes widened and Azula looked away with a rough snort. She didn't like to hear about this, but Sen seemed fine with discussing it with the child.

(Take off the mask, Azula. Do as Sen has done.)

A whisper in her head. She blinked rapidly, ignoring it as Sen continued to speak.

Kiyi's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't seem to fathom that a father could hurt his daughter so badly. She held her doll tighter to her chest and Zuko took a seat beside them.

"Your father did that to you?" Kiyi noticed Sen's scarred hands as well.

"Mm-hmm." Sen was quiet. Just sad.

"Why?" Kiyi asked, touching the rough patches of skin on Sen's palms.

"I didn't listen to him." Sen explained, hesitantly. "He wanted me to do something bad. Very bad. He wanted me to hurt people. I didn't want to do it. I wasn't much older than you."

Azula had been quiet the entire time, watching Sen's face.

"Well, my father wouldn't do something like that." Kiyi said, with a frown.

"That's good." Sen smiled at her. "You're lucky to have such good parents. Not all of us can have a good father..." She looked briefly to Azula. "...or mother."

Kiyi pouted at the thought. She held up her doll. "This is Kiyi!"

Sen chuckled warmly. "I thought your name was Kiyi."

"It's such a good name, I used it twice!"

Another laugh from Sen. "I see..."

Noren sat down beside his wife and gave her a little kiss on her cheek. Azula and Sen watched as Kiyi wandered over to the table with the others.

"You're better with kids than I expected," Azula remarked.

Sen nodded. "They're children." She hesitated before looking a little guilty. "Maybe I shouldn't have told her that story."

Azula shrugged. "Why not? They have to learn eventually how cruel the world can be. May as well teach them now so they're not surprised later."

"I want to be better than that." Sen replied, with a frown. "Not like my father. Not like my mother. I will be better."

Azula murmured thoughtfully. "Hm... Did you know my mother, Sen?"

"I saw her a few times, yes." Sen replied, glancing briefly at her. "When I would be brought to the Capital for my father's meetings. She always seemed to be sad in her eyes. Much like my own mother."

Azula rolled her eyes dismissively. "I'm sure she was."

"...Ursa, the woman you asked about, was probably the group's most famous member - but not for her acting. Years ago, she was...well...taken to the Capital City on some sort of official business." Noren was explaining to the group about Ursa. "We're not supposed to talk about her anymore, but people can't help speculating."

Noriko shrugged her shoulders at the funny looks she received. "Supposedly, she married into the royal family. This all happened before I came to town, but even I've heard the rumors."

Zuko looked at them hesitantly. "What about...Ikem?"

Noren's eyes widened now. "Ikem ... my, you've really done your research!" he said. "Ikem was an actor, too. Ursa's boyfriend, I believe. He disappeared shortly after Ursa left."

"Folks say that he ran off to Forgetful Valley." Noriko added.

"Forgetful Valley?" Aang questioned.

Noriko nodded and explained. "A forest at the bottom of a canyon, just outside of town. The heartbroken go there to forget their lives. You know, I vaguely remember hearing that Ursa came back to town years later, looking for Ikem. They say she went after him to Forgetful Valley."

"That can't be true! No one's seen or heard from Ursa since she was taken to the Capital City!" Noren argued.

Noriko sighed and smiled. "Well, if it is true, it's awfully romantic!"

"Romantic or tragic? Forgetful Valley is a dark, dangerous place. No one who enters ever returns."

Zuko rose and bowed to them. "Noren and Noriko, you've been more than generous. Thank you for the information." he told them.

As they started to depart, Sen looked down, surprised when Kiyi took her hand. The young girl looked up at her now, hopefuly.

"You'll come again? Please, please, please?" she begged.

Sen laughed softly, somewhat surprised by the request. "I don't know, Kiyi. Maybe."

O

Sen was watching the river nearby and she was approached by Katara. Azula was sleeping in Appa's saddle and it was a good chance to talk.

"Something funny?" Katara asked, when she noticed Sen chuckle a little.

"Strange, really." Sen replied. "It's the first time a kid didn't run away from me. Children are usually repulsed by my size and my face. Every time I've ever walked by, they run and cry."

"Well...maybe you're not so scary to them anymore."

"I can't change my face, Katara..."

"But you have changed your outlook, Sen. You've changed for the better and I think that's helped Azula a little, too. When you're around each other, you're better."

"Hmm..." Sen looked doubtful.

Katara looked at her, troubled by her expression. "Sen, what is it?"

"Oh! Just...I have things on my mind."

"Like what?"

Sen frowned at her, unsure.

"Sen, come on. We're friends. You can tell me."

"I'm...worried about things." Sen finally said, after a moment of pause. "What if once we find Azula's mother, she decides she doesn't...want me?"

Azula's eyes opened and she shifted a little, roused from sleep. She could hear the conversation between Sen and Katara and furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean, Sen?" Katara sounded confused. "I thought you two were hitting it off."

"Yes, we are," Sen replied, with an embarrassed laugh. "But what if she finally has closure and decides...she doesn't need me anymore."

Azula couldn't believe what she was hearing. Nuwa had truly been telling the truth after all. But that was absurd. Why would Sen think she didn't want her? It wasn't like Azula put forth effort for her health, after all. And Sen had stayed with her when all others left. It wouldn't be a lie when she said she valued Sen and had drawn comfort from her presence, even if she had no idea how to treat it in a romantic sense as the Avatar and his Water Tribe companion did.

"I'm tired. Maybe I should sleep before we get to the Forgetful Valley."

"Alright. I'll take first watch."

"Thank you."

Azula looked over her shoulder briefly before looking away as Sen climbed into the saddle to lay beside her. A small sigh from the other woman and Azula pondered something before she rolled over to face Sen, who had her back to her.

"Sen." she said, evenly.

Sen rolled over now to face her.

"Why do you insist on going to that Water Tribe peasant for advice?" Azula quipped, dryly.

"She's my friend. She helped me with my Courtship Ritual for you."

Azula rolled her eyes. "Yes, of course she did. She's like a Boar-q-pine but without the manners."

Katara made her way over to Aang, who had been sitting on a cliff's edge, observing the forest below. Zuko and Sokka had been sitting nearby; Zuko discussing his next plan of what they were going to do once they found the valley. When Katara sat beside them, Sokka looked up.

"You sure you want to leave them alone?" he asked.

"They're fine." Katara replied. "I told her I'd take first watch if you need rest."

Sokka held up a hand. "No can do. We need to plan."

"What we all need is rest," Katara argued, her hands on her hips, "We don't know what that valley might throw at us. We need to sleep and be ready for it tomorrow morning."

Aang nodded in agreement. "She's right. We'll sleep in shifts."

But Azula and Sen didn't sleep. They just laid in the saddle on Appa's back, watching one another; light fingertips stroked Sen's cheek, eyes heavy and distant, but still focused on her. Sen was also watching Azula in the same manner. The princess stared at her as if she was going to disappear at any moment.

"It was always you, wasn't it?" Azula said, quietly.

Sen tilted her head slightly, brow wrinkling. "What do you mean?"

"Always there," Azula lightly ran a long-nailed hand through Sen's hair, as if it was suddenly more fascinating than anything else. "Always by my side, even when Mai and Ty Lee were to turn on me, you were always there. Always mine."

Sen smiled, murmuring quietly and shutting her eyes. "That's where I wanted to be."

"I never saw it."

_Sen stepped into the command module and Azula smiled at her. "Nice of you to finally join us, captain," she said._

_"Of course, Princess," Sen replied, bowing her head with respect. She wanted to make the best impression for her. "My apologies."_

_The earthbenders wedged large earth spikes into the metal shell of the drill in an attempt to stop it from advancing toward the wall. Unfortunately, the drill's segments separated, reducing the columns to crumbles. The earthbending leader looked stunned and the group barely managed to form a shield of earth to protect themselves as an assault of flying daggers hurled by Mai sailed in their direction. They looked up in time to see Mai, Ty Lee and Sen sliding down the shell of the drill._

_"Earthbenders..." Sen hissed, landing gracefully on the ground; her hands filled with dark violet-colored flames. She was determined to prove her worth to the princess. Let her see just how strong she was. How worthy she could be for her. "Let's play."_

_Azula was displeased and turned to Qin, who made his way out of the drill. "Princess!" he cried, "Forgive me! That wasn't supposed to ha - " He yelped when he slipped over the slurry and fell face-first into the ground._

_Sen stood over him before pressing a foot against his back. "I'm sorry." she growled, "What was that about the drill being...impervious to attack?"_

_Qin struggled to breathe beneath the liquid mess and Azula watched the scene with amusement for a moment before looking at Sen. "Alright, that's enough drowning him for one day. Let him up."_

_Sen obeyed and Azula watched Qin struggle to rise. "Never you mind," she replied, with a wicked smile. "I had a feeling this drill would fail us, so that's why I formulated another plan."_

_Qin smiled weakly, but shook in the presence of Azula's suddenly darker stare. "But this failure is going to cost you your freedom, War Minister. Rest assured."_

_The man whimpered, but understood plenty what that meant._

_At her command, their hands grasped Arashi's head and forced it back so that he had nowhere else to look but to his daughter. Sen tightened the clasps on her metal gloves. She was shaking with anticipation now. "Do you remember the day when I crafted these, father?" she said, "Of course you do. You made me work every single day until I got them right!"_

_Immediately, she punched him viciously across the mouth, sending a spray of blood across the marble floor. Ty Lee's eyes widened in shock, but Azula's smirk just broadened when Arashi cried out in pain. He spat a little blood out, but received another punch to the face again. Sen was emotionless toward his agony. Each blow satisfied her. Each wound she inflicted healed her own. It had been a gift from her princess and she savored every second of it. Maybe in part, she also wanted to use this as an example to prove she couldn't and wouldn't let this weaken her._

_Azula watched._

_They began to make a complete mess of Chan's house. Sen kicked a vase over, Zuko smashed a table in half. Mai sliced through paintings on the walls and Ty Lee swung from a support beam, flipping onto a chandelier. It came crashing down, just as she swung to another beam. And then another followed behind it. It was childish, perhaps. But fun. Azula had enjoyed herself, in part._

_Azula angled her fingers to create lightning, and Mai readied one of her stilettos, her eyes narrowed. Before Azula could even think to complete her attack, however, she is struck twice by Ty Lee, who chi blocked her. Sen looked stunned and scowled now, whirling on Ty Lee._

_"You little - " she spat._

_Ty Lee performed the same tactic with her; blow after blow to Sen's arm that had her falling limply to her knees with a grunt of effort. Ty Lee looked surprised at her own actions and Sen leaned forward to shield Azula with her own body. The sight startled Mai, who seemed to put two-and-two together when she met Sen's fierce, angry eyes through her mask. But Ty Lee grabbed her arm to pull her away._

_"Come on! Let's get out of here!" she cried._

_But Mai and Ty Lee were quickly surrounded by guards and captured before they could escape. Azula continued to lay there, angry. Sen refused to raise her body from its protective position until Azula was helped up by the two guards._

_"You're both fools!" Azula hissed out._

_"It's fine, ladies," Sen told them, chuckling, "I am perfectly capable of fetching soup for myself. I - Oh! It smells good." She looked up toward the doorways when Azula practically rushed in and almost tripped. "Oh, Azula!" Sen greeted, "How are you?"_

_"Father did it! He named me Fire Lord!" Azula looked breathless with shock, excitement and delight._

_Lo and Li smiled. "That's fantastic Azula!" they said, together._

_Sen just smiled brightly and placed her bowl down and Lo immediately swiped it up in her bony fingers to pour her some soup. "That's very wonderful, Azula," she told her, "I am happy for you. Truly, I am."_

_Azula rubbed her forehead, trying to let herself calm down. "Oh, there's so much to do! So much to prepare before my coronation!" She took off as fast as an airbender before calling back to the two older women. "Lo, Li, hurry up! I'm going to need the house maids!"_

_"Coming, Princess!" the two announced, rushing from the kitchen._

_The Komodo Rhino sprinted toward the palace walls and Sen bent a blast of fire that completely destroyed the double doors to splinters. Sen rushed into the plaza, stunned to find Azula bound in chains on a water grate. She was lying on her side, frantically thrashing about and sobbing. Sen climbed off of the Komodo Rhino, pushed passed Katara and Zuko and knelt to Azula's side._

_"Azula!" she cried, "Azula, stop!"_

_The Fire Nation Princess screamed and sobbed, fighting Sen as she wrapped her arms protectively around her, attempting to keep her from hurting herself. Zuko and Katara watched the scene in silent shock, saying nothing or attempting to stop what was going on. Azula's hands were tightly bound, so she couldn't really fight back when Sen held her._

_"Shhh, it's okay. It's okay," Sen soothed, "It's going to be okay."_

_Azula screamed tearfully at her before she exhausted herself and finally relaxed, crying in Sen's shoulder harder than Zuko had ever heard her cry before. In fact, he never once heard his sister cry like that in his life. Sen hesitantly reached up and patted her head, a gentle touch that didn't linger. She was afraid she would cross the line in some way, so she continued to just soothe the princess by rocking gently back and forth as if she was comforting a child._

_"I'm here," Sen assured her. She smiled weakly. "I know it's not much, but I'm here."_

_Disoriented, Azula looked up at her, smelling the burns on her armor and seeing the wounds she'd suffered. "Sen?" she mumbled._

_Sen smiled at her, though her gaze was cautious._

_Azula didn't make any further argument and sighed, as if exhaustion finally overtook her. She closed her eyes and leaned into the other woman._

_Sen bent a little fiery moth that fluttered over their heads. They just laid there in silence, watching the moth and the stars overhead._

Yes.

Sen was always there.

O

"So this must be it: Forgetful Valley!"

Aang announced it that morning as they made their way into the great chasm. Sokka looked around for a moment, studying their surroundings.

"It's beautiful." Katara said, smiling.

"What a beautiful place to be killed." Azula quipped, arms folded across her chest. She looked up at Sen, ignoring Katara's annoyed frown. "You always take me to the nicest places, Sen."

Sen couldn't help her grin and laugh.

Zuko frowned thoughtfully, spotting no way to enter. "I don't know where we should start," he said, "There's not even a path."

Azula smirked at him, waving a dramatic hand in the air. "Come on, Zuzu." she told him, now raising her fists, "For a true firebender, there's always a path!"

She bent a blue blast of fire right at the forest, incinerating trees and bushes in her wake. Immediately, Zuko and Aang worked to put the fire out and Katara glared at Azula in shock.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded.

Azula put her hands on her hips with an impatient frown. "I suppose one of you imbeciles has a better idea on how to proceed?"

"Any idea is better than burning down the whole forest!" Katara shouted.

Aang approached a tree and noticed an odd pair of eyes etched into the bark. He tilted his head. "This tree has a face," he said. "Weird."

Sokka began to look around and noticed an odd trend; there were faces in almost everything. He mimicked the face on the leaves with his own.

"I think Aang is onto something! If you look carefully, there are actually faces all over the place!" he said. "Check out this leaf!"

Sen frowned and began to also notice the same things. "Look at that squirrel-toad!"

The back of the animal had a smiling face.

"And that giant flutter-bat over there!" Aang added, pointing.

He gave chase when the animal flew away and the others followed him toward a pool of water. It was perfectly circular and filled with water of a pure cerulean.

"I've never seen water so clear and still." Katara said, amazed.

"Like a perfect pane of glass." Zuko added.

Aang closed his eyes, smiling with content. "This feels familiar ... so tranquil ..." he told the others, "It reminds me of Tui and La's pool in the Northern Water Tribe. Be respectful, everybody. This is a very spiritual place."

Azula looked down at the pool and Ursa's face appeared. "You're going the wrong way, Azula. Turn back and find your true destiny."

Azula snarled and struck the pool with a bolt of lightning. "You again! Don't you ever shut up?!"

"Azula! NO!" Zuko shouted.

Aang whirled on her. "What'd I just say about being respectful?!"

Azula looked around anxiously. "She told you to lead me here, didn't she?! So she could keep tormenting me with her lies!"

She shot a blast of flame right at Aang and Zuko stepped in front of him, shielding him from Azula's second fire blast. Sen tried to step in and stop it by standing in front of Azula.

"Please! She isn't here, Azula!" she pleaded, "No one's trying to hurt you."

"That's enough!" Zuko shouted.

Katara bent a massive ball of water over Azula's head to which Sen stood in front of the princess, eyes angry, but pleading. Azula glared at Katara, but looked surprised when Sen shielded her with her larger form.

"You're right, Zuko, it is enough! We've tried to put up with her, but she's too dangerous!" Katara snapped.

"Don't you dare!" Sen showed her teeth. "You know she can't help it!"

Katara looked at her apologetically. "Sen, I'm sorry. I tried and tried to be civil with her for you."

Azula smiled, a sinister look. "Your civility has so little to do with your faults."

Katara glared at her.

"Just keep splashing around with your little puddles," Azula sneered, "Don't worry your little head about the rest."

"Why you - "

Suddenly, out of nowhere, several flowers soared through the air like throwing stars, missing the group by inches, Katara by less. She dropped the water in shock, her sleeve slit, as they all dodged the flying flowers, Azula raising an arm to block them.

"What - ?!" Katara cried.

Sokka ducked from another volley of the stars and when the dust settled, Katara and Aang looked closer at the flowers, embedded in the trunk of a nearby tree.

"These are the prettiest throwing stars I've ever seen!" Aang said.

Sen looked up, eyes widening. "More incoming!"

Aang used earthbending to raise a barrier in front of himself, shielding some of the flowers that came flying toward them; Sokka smashed one of them with his club; and both Zuko and Sen bent fire to obliterate them into nothing more than ash.

A bundle of vines began to snake their way toward the group. It was chaos as everyone worked to fight their way from the attack. Katara watched as one of the throwing stars turned to ice when Sokka crushed it beneath his heel.

"Someone's bending these flowers!" she shouted, "And the vines! I think they're waterbenders! Like the people in the swamp!"

An ice shard, sharpened like a blade soared toward Azula and Sen immediately knocked her out of the way, sending her tumbling to the ground. Katara, exhaled before she began waterbending the vines around herself. She yelled to the darkness.

"Whoever you are, you're not the only one who can waterbend! Show yourself!" she shouted.

As she finished, Katara stared in shock as two people in ragged blue clothes emerged from the forest, one an elderly woman, the other a tall man with a wooden mask covering his face.

Sen rose with a groan and Azula looked at her, laughing breathlessly. "Good to see you still know how to fight." she remarked.

When Sen stood up, the shard was embedded in her shoulder. She smiled, not taking notice; Azula's proud smile faltered and she stared at the wound in shock. Katara caught it as well and she looked over, horrified.

"Sen!" she exclaimed. Are you alright?"

Sen looked confused. "What?" she asked. "Why wouldn't I be alright?"

She looked down and noticed the shard, letting out a quiet gasp. 

"Whatever you do, don't pull it - " Katara began.

But Sen had already grasped the shard and yanked it from her shoulder with a sharp grunt. Katara took a step forward to help her, but Azula pushed her aside with an angry sound.

"Move!" she barked.

Sen lowered herself to a seat on a tree stump and Azula pressed her hand to the wound, scowling up at her. "You're an idiot, Sen!" she snapped, "I could have handled whatever our attackers threw at us. You didn't have to put yourself in the way like a fool."

Sen laughed weakly, hissing sharply. "You had more on your mind, Azula."

Azula huffed, irritated and dodging Sen's eyes. "You can be absolutely annoying sometimes, you know that?" she growled.

Katara watched them before she bent water from the pouch at her side. She looked at Azula firmly. "Alright, are you going to let me heal her?"

Azula glared back at her, but pulled her hand from Sen's shoulder. "Fine. Make it quick."

Sen looked at Katara as the waterbender produced the glowing light in her water and rested them beneath the plates of her armor.

O

The group sat around a campfire near the pool's edge with the two people who emerged from the forest and all were eating. Sokka especially so, from small bowls. The old woman introduced themselves as Misu and Rafa, siblings from the Northern Water Tribe.

"So how did two people from the Northern Water Tribe end up in a Fire Nation forest?" Katara asked.

Misu continued to explain her story about Rafa's brash ways, his eventual disfigurement and her desperation to find a cure for him - and her search was for a spirit that she believed would help. Her story was ignored by Azula, who had more important things to think of. She didn't understand why her brother wanted to indulge these people.

"Sorry to interrupt your sob story - " she snapped.

Zuko frowned at her. "Azula! Don't be rude!"

Azula continued, addressing the old woman without acknowledging her brother. " - But we're on a mission of our own. We're looking for a woman named Ursa."

Misu shook her head. "I'm sorry, but we haven't seen her. The forest was pretty quiet until you all arrived."

Aang looked at her now. "So this spirit you're looking for - what's it supposed to look like?"

"It is a she." Misu explained, "I don't know what she looks like, but when she approaches, the forest tells us. Facelike patterns begin to manifest on the leaves of the trees, the wings of the insects, and the backs of the animals. Then on a night like tonight, a giant wolf bearing the markings of a face travels from far away to drink from one of the forest's four pools. Whichever pool he drinks from, there the spirit appears. The spirit has passed through Forgetful Valley many times since we arrived, but we always seem to be at the wrong pool."

Azula waved a dismissing hand in the air. "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I've had my share of this forest and its denizens for one lifetime."

Aang stood up and shook his head. "This isn't right! I am the Avatar. Maybe I can do something."

He knelt by the pool and his tattoos began to glow. Misu watched the sight with amazement and held her brother close. Sen and the others stared at Aang as he begun to meditate.

All they could do was wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sen and Azula's flashbacks were inspired by "Quiet's Theme" by Stefanie Joosten.


	6. Mother

~o~

They were still waiting.

Azula was tapping her heel impatiently against the ground and Sen was watching her worriedly. She put a comforting hand around her shoulders and the other woman seized for a moment before relaxing against her chest. She huffed, a bored noise.

"Did we not come here to look for mother, or help two dirty vagrants?" she muttered.

Sen shook her head. "It's all happening along the way to your mother." she offered, "Don't worry. I'm sure the Avatar knows what he's doing."

Azula didn't seem thoroughly convinced of that, but her attention was focused to Sen's wound she'd received. It had healed from Katara's bending, but she still saw the blood on her hand. Smelled it. Tasted it in the air.

(She wants to bleed for you. Let her.)

(Let her bleed all for you.)

"I've never worshiped the spirits," Sen replied, after a moment of silence as she regarded the pool, "I've never been one for religion. But it seems to be the only lead we have. I know we can find your mother and find closure for you. I just hope - "

Aang awoke from his meditative trance and smiled back at them.

"We're about to have a visitor." he said.

Much to the shock of everyone, the pool began to fill with masks. They backed away as it started to glow, the surface broken by a massive upwelling of water as a shape burst from the depths. Towering over them was the Mother of Faces, a spirit with six eyeless faces wrapped around her head; her body seemed to be woven from tree branches and vines. Her base was hidden by the water spiraling up around her torso, and each of her two long, skinny arms ended in similarly long, skinny, and sharp, claw-like fingers. Dozens of faces and masks of every shape and size floated around her, many of them animal and inhuman.

"I am the Mother of Faces. Through me, separateness came into the world. Through me, came identity. The many one became the many." the spirit proclaimed. "I walk through my forest once a season, but never have I strayed from the path my wolf chooses for me. I do so now in deference to the Avatar, the great bridge between the spirits and the humans."

Aang beamed with pride, muttering to Sokka. "See? What'd I tell ya'?"

Sen was watching the spirit, amazed.

"I am a generous spirit, softhearted and kind." The Mother of Faces told them.

Zuko looked at Aang. "Maybe she knows where my mother is."

"Spirits know a lot of things. You should definitely ask."

The Mother of Faces continued to remain before them. "Each season, I grant one favor to one human. You may make your request now."

Aang looked disappointed and glanced back at Zuko and Misu. They didn't seemed to expect the restriction either. No one knew what to do.

"Wait. Just one?" Aang asked.

The Mother of Faces inclined her head only slightly. "One." she repeated. A pause. "Humans like you often chase after me, begging for new identities. Have you come to do the same?"

Aang chuckled awkwardly and tried to put on a syrupy sweet tone. "See, here's the thing - we actually need two favors. I'm sure a big-and-gigantic-yet-beautiful-and-lovely spirit like yourself can handle two favors, right?" he said, "Your, uh ... Face-iness?"

A moment of silence from the great spirit. "Do not test my generosity, young Avatar. One."

Zuko looked at Rafa and Misu sympathetically. "They've waited for so long. If there's only one, it should be theirs." he said. "Go ahead, Misu."

She smiled brightly. "Thank you, thank you!"

She started to approach the Mother of Faces and Azula suddenly broke away from Sen, scoffing angrily. She had come all this way. She wouldn't be denied her destiny for the sake of two Water Tribe peasants.

"Ridiculous!" she snapped, pushing passed Zuko as Misu started to address the spirit. "You're such a constant disappointment, Zuko! Even when you're strong, you're weak!"

Zuko's eyes widened. "Azula!"

Azula ignored him, sprinting in front of Misu, yielding her own request over that of the waterbender. "We seek a princess of the Fire Nation named Ursa! Tell me where to find her!"

Misu looked horrified. "No!"

The Mother of Faces opened her hand, uncurling her long fingers. An illusion of the head and shoulders of Ursa appeared, floating like mist in her palm.

"Ursa. I remember her. I could not understand why a human of such beauty would ask for a new face." the spirit said, "To test her sincerity, I offered her one as plain as can be."

The illusion floating in her hand changed, morphing into the face and shoulders of Noriko. Everyone reacted with shock; Azula's features twisted and she was already turning, leaving before anyone could stop her.

"She accepted." The Mother of Faces said.

O

"She's gone!" Sokka cried.

Azula had blasted through the vines behind them and Sen looked over her shoulder, shocked. She knew what would happen and what it would mean and she didn't want Azula to do it alone.

"Azula, wait!" Sen shouted, desperately. "Please! Don't go back there yet!"

"She's going to Hira'a, back to Noren's house!" Zuko told the others. "We have to stop her."

Behind them, The Mother of Faces, having granted her one request, is pulling herself back under the water. Misu, standing at the water's edge, grew desperate and began to bend the pool's water around the spirit, attempting to stall her departure.

"Don't leave us yet, I beg of you!" Misu cried.

The Mother of Faces straightened now, angered by the presumption. "Foolish human! You dare bend the water of my sacred pool?!"

"We've spent years waiting for you!"

Aang tried to calm the angered spirit. "She didn't mean any disrespect, Your Face-iness! She just - " he began.

But the Mother of Faces would not be swayed. "Since the beginning of time, I've fashioned faces with great care and deliberation-with all my heart! In each face, I put a piece of my own being!" she told them, her tone a discordant note through the air, "But then these humans trample into my forest to make demands of me as if I were their servant! They dare ask me to replace my precious gifts with new ones! Do you know how it feels to be told by such insignificant beings that your work is inadequate? Get out of my forest. And take your friends with you. GET OUT!"

As she delivered her final command, the forest around the pool sprang to life; every animal in every tree turned toward the pool where the Mother of Faces and the humans were standing, repeating the command "Get out" over and over again before attacking.

O

An armadillo bear charged for Sen and when it reared up, she caught its front paws and struggled to keep the animal at bay. She was snarling with effort, heels scraping across the dirt. The bear roared down at her and smacked its head against hers.

She stumbled back, holding her head with a groan.

Aang and Katara were trying to fend off the creatures as the Mother of Faces watches from behind them; the multitude of animals continues to cry "GET OUT!" as they dove from the trees and scrambled from the brush, surrounding the group.

"Try not to hurt them!" Aang shouted, over the chaos.

"Because they're spirit animals, I know!" Katara shouted back.

Sen glared at the armadillo bear and bent a wave of flame in its face, forcing it back. It gave her a chance to shove her way through the forest, determined to reach Azula before Zuko and Sokka did. She knew that they had run out of patience for it, so she had to do anything to stop them from hurting her.

She could still hear the spirit speaking through the animals surging out of the bushes and trees after her. But she couldn't waste a single minute of her time; she had to reach Azula.

(A Pathokinetic Firebender.)

(How interesting. Her emotions shape the color of the flame.)

Sen was aware of the whispers around her; she had read long ago that spiritual energy could affect those around them in unique ways. There would be lingering echoes of the past and telltale whispers. But she wouldn't dwell on it. Not now.

(Sen, look at me. Please.)

(I'm sorry.)

Sen ignored the voice that sounded like her father's plea. She wouldn't dwell on the past.

Night had started to fall over Hira'a; Zuko and Sokka walk around the side of a house, where yellowish light was shining from a propped-open window.

"It's too quiet." Sokka whispered, uneasily.

Zuko peeked through the window before a sudden look of shock crossed his face. He moved to the wall of the house, his head next to the window. Sokka made a worried sound.

"Are they dead? Did she actually kill them?" he hissed.

Zuko sighed, shaking his head. The family was safe inside and having dinner at their table. He gestured for Sokka to look and the other man peeked inside before he sighed with relief.

"Whew! I thought maybe your sister had done something awful!" he said.

"She isn't here, yet," Zuko replied, looking back through the window.

Sokka joined him and they watched the family for a moment.

"So, that's really her, huh?" Sokka asked, looking at Noriko. "Your mom." He paused and looked at Zuko curiously. "Do you know what to say to her?"

Zuko shook his head. "No. Not yet. Listen. I'm going inside. Can you stay here and keep a watch for Azula?"

"What do I do if I see her?"

"Just...yell."

"You got it."

Zuko walked to the closed front door in the darkness and knocked twice. The door opened and Noren was standing there on the other side.

Zuko bowed to him. "Noren." he said. "I know it's late, but I - "

Noren smiled sadly. "I had a feeling you would return."

Zuko looked surprised. "What do you mean?"

"Come inside." Noren beckoned for him.

Zuko was worried, but followed the man inside.

O

Sokka paced back and forth while listening briefly to the conversation inside. He kept his eyes focused on the forest around him, frowning suspiciously at the slightest noise and chirp of nature. He didn't know if Azula would arrive soon, but he had to be ready.

Behind him, Azula stood, eyes wild and crazed. She grinned widely and Sokka paled when he sensed her presence. He slowly turned and yelled, mere seconds as she lunged.

Inside the house, Zuko could make out the noise. They all turned to look in the direction of the crashing sounds. Kiyi raced to her father, clutching him tight as Zuko stood up.

"Fire Lord, what's going on?!" Noren asked.

Zuko looked at them, reassuring. In truth, he was worried, too. It had to be Azula. "Stay here. I'll go find out." he told them.

Noren and Noriko watched anxiously as Zuko walked toward the door; he could make out the sounds of a struggle, a few crashing noises. He had to help Sokka. While the Water Tribe man was strong in his own way, he wouldn't stand a chance alone with Azula.

Suddenly, there was a thumping sound from the other side of the thin panels of roof above them; Kiyi pointed up at them and Noren's eyes widened.

"Something's on the roof!" he gasped.

They stood, silent, staring up at the ceiling with apprehension. Little fragments of roof flutter down through the air and, as the roof began to bend, the crackle of electricity being charged penetrated the small room. Zuko's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh no." he groaned, softly.

A mighty blast of lightning penetrated the room through the ceiling, accompanied by roaring thunder, and the roof collapsed with Azula and Sokka falling through. Zuko watched them fall - Azula with all the grace she was wont to have and Sokka collapsing to the floor in a tumble of limbs. But Azula recovered quickly and kicked out at Zuko with a blast of fire from her foot.

"I said, get out of my way!" she spat.

The kick landed squarely in Zuko's chest and he tumbled backward.

Noriko and Noren, holding Kiyi, had reeled back from the explosion, huddled together in the corner of the room. Azula snarled back at Zuko before she rose from her place, staring down at Noriko with strong purpose. But her eyes didn't hide the anger, the wounded demand for answers.

"You! Finally! I can't tell you how long I've dreamed of this moment!" she hissed.

Kiyi was crying, reaching for Noriko. "Mommy!"

Azula looked briefly at Kiyi, her eyes still wild, before turning back on Noriko, swinging her arms as her fingers begin to crackle with energy. There was a brief second where her gaze softened with pain - only a second before hardening with madness.

"Tell me, mother; did you have to have a new daughter because your last one turned out to be such a monster?" she demanded.

Meanwhile, Sen was still running through the forest; she could see the sight of the house and pushed on with all her strength. She could smell fire and was reminded briefly of the chaos of battle. She was there at an Earth Kingdom village, smelling the flames, hearing the cries of death around her.

(No.)

(No more.)

Inside the house, Azula shoved Noriko against the wall, holding her in place with her right arm and igniting a flame with the other, staring furiously at her captive.

"It all ends right now!" she spat.

Noriko groaned, frightened and struggling weakly against her. "I don't know what you're talking about..."

Azula scoffed, furious. "Oh really, mother?" she snapped, "So I've imagined all this? You haven't been trying to take me down from the moment I was born?"

Zuko took a step forward, hands engulfed with flames. "Azula, let her go!"

"Stay back, Zuzu! I'm warning you!" Azula shouted.

Noriko reached up, putting a hand softly to Azula's face with tears in her eyes. The contact startled Azula and she looked back at her, blue flames in her hand vanishing immediately. There was something about the way Noriko's eyes filled that had the same effect with her; she started to cry.

"If what you say is true..." Noriko began, "If I really am your mother... Then I'm sorry I didn't love you enough."

Azula struggled to comprehend what she was hearing. She started to lower her fist and that was when Zuko took his chance; he grabbed her by the arm holding Noriko against the wall, putting himself between the two. Azula snapped back to reality and sent a fire blast at Zuko, but he quickly dodged and responded with a fiery kick of his own. Azula, performing a back-flip, evading the attack

"Oh for crying out loud, stop moving!" Azula shouted, enraged.

Her fingertips produced a ball of lightning, ready to unleash it.

Zuko held one arm out in front of him, ready to catch it. "Don't do it." he warned, "I told you already, I know how to deal with your lightning. I can redirect it anywhere."

Azula stared at him, wild and unhinged as she had been during their Agni Kai. She unleashed lightning at Zuko, letting out a scream of uncontrolled rage. Zuko, extending his arm to meet the energy, received it and redirected it straight back at Azula; the blast hit her square in the chest and she flew backward, groaning. With a resounding crash, she collided with the wall behind her.

As Zuko advanced on his sister, she looked up at him, almost imploringly.

(No one wants you, you know that.)

(You're alone.)

Suddenly, the wall erupted beside them with fire and wood as Sen surged through. She crouched in front of Zuko, putting space between him and Azula; she was breathless, exhausted from running, but full of strength and resolve. She would meet him if she had to. Her body radiated with fire and energy.

"Sen!" Zuko gasped.

"If you fight her, you fight me, Zuko." she promised.

Noriko watched the siblings and Sen with worry on her face. Zuko looked sympathetically to Sen before he took a step forward. She bared her teeth at him and he stopped.

"Sen, we tried," he said, "I really wanted it to be different. Step aside."

"I. Won't." Sen whispered, severely. Her features relaxed with anguish. "I love her, Zuko."

Azula's features smoothed out and she looked at Sen only for a moment.

(She's here.)

(She's always been here.)

Hearing her say the words, even if she'd always known how Sen felt... It was different. The song was different from others. It was true. It was real.

Sen was real.

Zuko sighed softly through his nose. "In my heart, I know - I've always known - " he said, sliding his topknot through the more basic metal loop before putting the crown itself in its place on top of his head. " - that the throne is my destiny." He looked at Azula now. "Azula, our relationship is so messed up. It's been like that as long as I can remember. And maybe it'll be like that for the rest of our lives. But one fact never changes. No matter what, you're still my sister."

Sen refused to move away from Azula until she was certain there was no threat. Once Zuko backed away, she knelt down, turned to Azula and helped her stand.

She was just staring at Noriko, eyes wide and unseeing.

Sen called her name, but she didn't hear it.

O

The Mother of Faces had calmed.

Sen noticed Aang and the others were out of danger. Maybe something had happened which changed the spirit's temperament while she had been in pursuit of Azula. Rafa and Misu seemed happy and he was no longer wearing his wooden mask.

She didn't ask, but she only watched as Noriko approached the being.

"Human, do you wish to return to who you once were? Do you wish to remember?" The Mother of Faces queried.

Zuko stepped up and put a hand to Noriko's shoulder. "No. You don't have to. You have such a beautiful life here." he said.

Noriko looked at him with a sad smile before she turned her attention to the spirit. "Yes."

"Hold still."

The Mother of Faces reached a long arm down to Noriko and the brilliant yellow light of Noriko's transformation drowned the darkness of the early morning. Azula and Sen watched the sight with bated breath as Noriko returned to the form of Ursa.

O

The hole in the roof of Noren's house was covered by a large canvas and held down by several rocks and a log. The ruined doors lay against the porch supports and Zuko and Ursa stood together in the yard. Azula and Sen were sitting together with them. She didn't look up at her mother now.

"So, decided to take off that mask, have we?" she said, curtly.

Ursa smiled hesitantly. "Yes." she replied. "How do you feel now that you've calmed?"

Azula scoffed with disgust and looked at Sen. The other woman frowned, worried by the tense atmosphere. Now that things had relaxed, it seemed that Azula had gone from determined to indifferent. She was used to her odd moods before. But this was new.

"Azula, please try to understand..." Ursa began.

Azula smiled coldly. "One little question about my health and you think we're even now?" She waved a dramatic hand in the air. "Is it time for us to go wander in the palace courtyard and play with the turtle ducks. Oh! Wait, no. That was you and little Zuzu, wasn't it?"

Zuko frowned. "Azula!"

"Hey, guys!" Aang called.

They looked up at Katara and Aang walking up to the scene. The two were worried, casting glances from Azula to Ursa in case another fight would start.

"Hey, how's it going over here?" Aang asked.

Ursa looked at Azula, who refused to look at her. "I know I've been gone for awhile." she said, "And I've missed a few birthdays." She laughed, uncomfortable.

Azula rolled her eyes. "Yes, and the second your little baby boy asks for it, mother comes running back."

Ursa stared at her firmly, but sadly. "That's not it at all."

Azula rose and looked at Sen. "You know? I think I'd like to have a moment of peace. Away from the Komodo Rhino excrement."

She shot Ursa a dirty look and turned, wandering back toward Noren's home. Sokka had been repairing the door that she had ruined, but Azula threw it open and slammed it shut, splintering it once more to bits. He watched her go with furious disbelief and shook his fist after her.

"I JUST FIXED THAT!" he snapped.

"She needs a little time." Katara offered, looking at Ursa.

Ursa nodded, though she didn't seem reassured.

After a few moments, Sen rose and followed Azula into the house. Ursa watched her go, then looked at Zuko and he smiled at her.

"Sen has this way," he explained, "No one can keep her calmer than her."

"I see. She cares about her, then..." Ursa found the notion pleasant.

"She does."

Sen walked through the house and stopped at a closed door. She knocked on it and Azula's angry voice came from the other wise.

"Unless you want to have a second helping of lightning for breakfast, I suggest you leave me in peace!" she spat.

Sen flinched before speaking. "It's me. May I come in?"

A moment of silence before the door slowly opened. Sen stepped inside and found Azula sitting on the floor, knees pulled close to her chin, face angry and streaked with tears. Sen looked at her sadly and put an arm around her, pulling her close. Azula sighed, frustrated and dismissive for a moment before she eventually relaxed in her arms.

"I don't understand," Sen said, quietly, "Isn't this what you wanted? To confront your mother?"

"It is. I...I think?" Azula scoffed. "I don't know."

"You have your chance," Sen offered, smiling down at her, "Tell her everything you need to tell her. You gave me that chance with my father, now we're handing it to you."

"You nearly beat your father to death."

"Well, yes. But this is different."

Azula rolled her eyes, but didn't disagree with her. She glanced briefly at Sen and laughed at the absurdity of that comment. Sen laughed along with her.

O

"Talk to her."

Ursa was sitting outside with the others, her features a mask of conflict. "It won't do any good." she told them, "You've seen what her father has made her into. What she wants isn't going to change things."

Sen frowned at her. "And what's that?"

"She wants to hear 'I'm sorry'."

Sen was glaring at her now. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Well, so give it to her. It's not like she's asking you for much, which is less than what you've given her!"

Ursa was startled by the abrupt tone. "She seems to have quite the temper..." she whispered, sidelong to her son.

"Yeah..." Zuko agreed. He looked at Sen. "It's not as easy as it sounds, Sen."

"No?" Sen glared at each face watching her.

She rose from her place and advanced onto Ursa, which made everyone around them tense. Zuko started to rise and Sen bared her teeth at him.

"SIT. Down." she hissed, with venom. "I have words for your mother."

"Sen, that's..." Katara began, uncomfortable.

Sen looked back at her. "No, Katara. I just want to share a bit of words with Ursa, that's all. Ozai was far from a good father and I understand a thing or two about that." She chuckled coldly and looked down at Ursa. Her smile was broad, but her eyes a storm. "And you... How are you any better? Do you see my face, Ursa?"

Sen pointed to her scars, the angry grimace perpetually locked there.

"My father did this to me," she continued, watching the older woman swallow slightly. "But what scars did you leave on your daughter? Would they look like this? You think I didn't notice it when we were children? How you fawned and doted on Zuko as if he were your flawless little pet."

"Hey!" Zuko protested.

"I'm NOT. FINISHED." Sen spat, glaring up at him now. She returned her gaze to Ursa, who withered somewhat. "How many soldiers have I fought in the war in the name of Ozai's ambition? How many legions of enemies have I brought down? Many, many fathers and sons alike. But they all had more respect and honor than you seem to. They didn't run and hide away when their lives turned to a nightmare. They stood and faced me before I killed them. I have more respect for my enemies than for you, Ursa."

Her words were cold, heavy and it had everyone stunned to silence. Ursa's eyes filled and she lowered her head, letting out the smallest of sorrowful noises. Sen was unsympathetic to her emotions, but the hardness in her eyes softened somewhat and her voice was even now.

"Yes, I imagine Azula must have done plenty of that as well. But you were too busy turning your back on her to notice." Sen continued. "But you can do better. At the very least, talk to her. You owe her that much for running away."

O

Two chairs were set up in the room.

Ursa was already sitting in one, hands crossed in front of her. Katara, Zuko and Aang were sitting at the corner of the room as Azula eventually walked over, taking the other chair. She crossed her legs and folded her arms across her chest. Her features were cold, but blank of the madness she once had. Sen was there as well, standing near the doorway with an encouraging smile. When Azula looked briefly at her, Sen gave a small nod.

"One of you can start talking." Sokka suggested.

Azula glanced at their watching faces before she made a short laugh and gestured with a grand wave toward Ursa. "Her first." she said. Her eyes hardened as she looked at her mother. "I'm the one who's owed an explanation."

Ursa let out a little sigh, shutting her eyes. This wasn't going as well as she'd hoped.

"Hey, I have an idea," Katara told them, "What about we try 'I feel' statements?"

"What?" Azula snapped.

"You know..." Katara looked at everyone and sought to explain. "For example, if Sokka did something that annoyed me, I can say 'I feel that you did this particular thing and that made me feel bad'."

Sokka grinned, nodding. "Good one, Katara."

Azula frowned at the idea, but nodded briefly before she looked expectantly to her mother, eyebrows raised. Ursa delicately cleared her throat and sought of a way to properly phrase her words.

"Alright, Azula..." she began. "I am...sorry that you feel I betrayed you. That I acted selfishly and chose to leave you alone with your father."

Azula squinted at her with disgust. The apology didn't satisfy her.

Ursa continued. "I'm sorry that you can't see the truth of why I did what I did."

Ursa looked at the others for approval and Zuko looked pained. Sen thinned her lips and Sokka made a face. Azula rolled her eyes and looked at them skeptically.

"So, you heard that all, right?" she quipped.

"Ursa, I know this isn't easy to do," Aang told the older woman, "But do you think maybe you could try to..." He scratched the back of his head. "...not talk like a Fire Lady and just talk like a mom?"

"I am her mother." Ursa was confused by the question. "Isn't that what I'm doing?"

Azula let out a bark of mocking laughter, folding her arms across her chest and leaning back. "Wow. There she goes..." she muttered.

"Did you think it was easy, Azula?" Ursa asked, her tone hardening somewhat, "Did you think I could just do whatever I wanted and say what I wanted without consequence? Your father saw 'greatness' in you and his ambition pushed you further and further away from me."

Azula glared at her, eyes wide in disbelief before she leveled a sharp finger at the other woman. "NO! You betrayed me. You let father dictate everything and when he lost his faith in Zuko, you wanted a failure so you could feel like less of one! But I am NOT your failure, mother. I never will be!"

"No, Azula." Ursa said, sadly. "Even as a child, you've always had these problems. Nothing I said or did would have changed that. Your father only enhanced what you were."

" _SO YOU'RE BLAMING ME FOR THIS?!_ " Azula shouted, her voice high with rage.

"I'm not blaming you! I'm only telling you the truth!"

Azula calmed somewhat, staring at her with furious disbelief. "No. The truth is. I was your daughter. Your child. And you turned your back."

"And why should I put you first above your brother?" Ursa demanded now, her voice shaking slightly. "You didn't want attention, you wanted to be the best. You HAD to be the best because that was your father's wish."

"That is not the point! You want to go there, mother?" Azula laughed angrily. "Let's go there, then. Remember my contest at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls? Do you?"

Ursa sighed quietly, nodding.

"Yes, you do remember, don't you?" Azula continued. "How I was top of my class? How I won in my performance for my legendary Dragon Fire bending art-form? What did you say when I came home?" She smirked at the others watching and let out a small, sarcastic laugh. "You'll love this."

Ursa looked at her sadly.

"She told me in so many words that I was wrong for taking the contest too seriously." Azula folded her arms across her chest, leaned back in her chair. "That I had hurt the other girls because I wanted to win. Because I wanted to be the best. To her, any ambition was met with criticism and neglect. The only way I could have gotten her attention was if I was a failure like Zuko."

Ursa was silent and Azula cupped her ear, smiling widely. "Well? Hm? What's that, mother? At a loss for words, all of a sudden? Why? I thought we were talking."

The others looked at Ursa; Sen looked pained to hear every bit of Azula's feelings. It shouldn't have been that way, but at least she was confronting her mother about how she was made to feel.

"I can't believe I'm actually about to say this, but…um..." Katara began, hesitantly. She looked at Ursa now. "Azula's right."

Azula looked surprised for a second before she smiled smugly. "Good to see you've finally come to your senses after all."

Katara shot her a look before looking at Ursa. "All Azula wants is an apology, Ursa. That's it. But you're more concerned with excuses to give her one. I mean, she's a pain but...she's still your daughter."

Azula squinted at her and glanced briefly to Sen. Ursa's features softened before she nodded. She looked at her daughter and wrung her fingers together.

"I did abandon you, Azula...and I did neglect you," she said, softly. Her eyes brimmed. "I didn't want to show favorites, that was never my intention. But...but... I did that anyway. I saw what you were becoming. I saw that your father wanted more from you but..."

Azula's hardened features softened slightly, lips parting as she gauged her mother's sincerity.

"I did nothing to stop it." Ursa continued, tears streaming down her cheeks, "I watched Ozai twist you into a version of himself and instead of trying to guide you, I turned my back on you. I watched my only daughter become her father and I hated myself for that. So I punished you for something that wasn't even your fault. And I am so sorry."

Azula swallowed thickly, her eyes starting to fill.

"I didn't love you enough," Ursa rose, crossing the boundary between them and knelt down before her daughter. "That was true. But I still love you, Azula."

A tearful scoff and Azula refused to look at her. "Love? Love...how dare you say that to me..."

"It's true. I mean every word of it."

They began to talk over one another.

" - You left me alone to suffer at the hands of my father - "

" - I only ask for forgiveness, Azula - "

" - And now you ask me to forgive you? - "

Azula sighed, looking away from her. Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she struggled to put on that indifferent facade. Her lower lip trembled. Ursa took a chance and cautiously drew closer, reaching for her. She refused the contact for a few moments, before Azula was embraced.

She cried. It was hard to tell if the tears were of pain or rage; the others watching said nothing. They could do nothing as Ursa held her. Both of them were crying now and Azula was uttering 'liar' between sobs. Ursa just shook her head, rebuking her words.

It was incredibly somber and no one said anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by the song "Only a Woman's Heart" by Eleanor McEvoy.


	7. Closure

~o~

It had been quiet on the journey back to the Capital.

Azula hadn't spoken to Ursa, Noren and Kiyi, but she had spent time to herself and Sen respected that decision. It had all been quite a bit to take in.

She looked at herself in the tall mirror in her chambers, out of her armor and studying her shoulder where the ice shard had pierced her. Katara's healing water had closed the wound, but a scar would be left. Not that she wasn't used to such things.

Sen had always been aware of her height, her strength and her voice. It put many people off to her presence, which was how she preferred it. It was easier to be an unknown element in the world as she fought and killed many in the name of the Fire Nation.

Until recently, when she wanted to be seen and heard.

The door opened and Azula stepped inside. Sen looked back at her, noticing the heavy look in her eyes and the redness of them. She had clearly been crying.

"Azula!" she said, worried, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Sen. Why wouldn't I be?" Azula said, an edge to her voice. She stared at the other woman and smiled a little, but her eyes didn't match.

She approached Sen and put her arms around her waist. Sen was a bit surprised by the contact, but mostly because Azula had initiated it. She didn't see her face in the reflection, but stared at herself and touched a hand to the scars on her face.

"Was it the closure you wanted?" Sen asked, quietly.

"Maybe. Mother seems to harbor this delusion that it will fix everything," Azula replied, matter-of-factly. She paused and sighed. "But at least I know where she was and where she was hiding. So I suppose I should be counting whatever blessings I've been given."

It was an answer fitting for her. Sen knew that Azula missed her mother in a way and wanted to understand everything about what had happened.

Sen smiled at her, placing a hand over Azula's. "I'm glad. I know it won't be easy. Ursa has much to atone for."

Azula said nothing. She just rubbed her hands across Sen's shoulders. It was a light touch, a gentle contact that Sen drew comfort in. She made a small note when Azula brushed her lips against the muscles of her shoulder.

"Let's not talk about mother right now," Azula told her, kissing the underside of her ear. "Just come to bed with me."

Sen nodded and Azula undressed herself. Sen looked away until Azula was properly in a red robe before looking back at her. Azula caught the awkward look before she rolled her eyes with a small laugh before sitting at the edge of the bed. She crossed her legs and tilted her head.

"Sen, how do you plan to properly court me if you're too ashamed to look at me?" she quipped.

Sen laughed nervously. "Forgive me. Maybe I'm not..."

She trailed off and Azula frowned. "What?"

"Nothing."

" _Tell me._ " Azula insisted, giving her shoulders a little push to emphasize her impatience.

Sen lowered herself to her knees before her and sighed. She scratched her head and grinned, looking less like a dangerous bender and more like a child who couldn't even spark a flame.

"I'm nervous." she admitted.

Azula's amusement dwindled from her face. She raised an eyebrow and huffed before running a hand through Sen's hair to undo the bun that held it in place, spilling her black hair across her face in a way that made her look quite appealing. The contact went appreciated as Sen closed her eyes with a small murmur in her throat. Well, there was no need to mock her for that. She was honest with herself and with her.

"I'm not...experienced in this sort of thing," Sen chose her words carefully and she continued to blush, "What if I don't...please you...properly?"

"Well, it isn't like I've done this sort of thing either."

Sen blinked, but laughed shyly and lowered her eyes. "No?"

"No, but I've read my share of books and spent enough time with myself. How hard can it be?"Azula began to undo the little string that held the silk undergarments in place around Sen's chest. "You're a quick learner, yes?"

"O-Of course."

"And I'm a prodigy at everything I do, as you know." Azula said this, even as her own cheeks reddened and she forced that same air of superiority in her voice. It was a distraction this time. There was a flicker of nerves there that came and went like lightning. "There is no concern, Sen. We're fairly educated, so we can simply learn as we go."

Sen swallowed thickly, a shiver running through her body as she was undressed for her. To Azula, this must have simply been like a strategy in battle; she certainly treated it as such, but Sen didn't quite mind. In fact, she was more comfortable that way. It was familiar, after all.

"Yes, you're right." she said, her voice trembling. She had to calm down.

"Of course I am." Azula's cheeks were still red. She made her way into the bed and eyed Sen hungrily. "Now are you coming or not?"

Sen laughed sheepishly, slowly making her way into the bed. "Yes."

O

They arrived back at the Fire Nation Capital that early morning.

Sen and Azula were making their way across the ship; Sen was adjusting her armor with a small huff and Azula watched her before sighing, rolling her eyes before batting her hands away. The memories of the evening were still fresh and every touch was a pleasant reminder of it.

"You'd think you'd know how to do this by now, Sen," she said, dryly. "Do I have to dress you after I spent hours undressing you?"

"I was rather rushing."

Well, don't rush. Appearance is the first thing people will notice, remember?"

"Of course."

Sen blushed a deep shade of crimson, clearing her throat when a worker walked by. Azula fussed at her armor for a few moments before patting her shoulder once, smiling her approval.

"Good. You look nice." she said.

The two made their way to the docks and Azula was suddenly smirking when she noticed Kiyi trying to escape Ursa's grip. She didn't know what was happening exactly, but she had a feeling it had to do with Ursa's sudden change in face. It would take the young kid some time getting used to it.

"Let go! Let go!" Kiyi cried.

Ursa was stunned by the refusal, but released her and Kiyi ran to Noren to hide behind him, demanding to leave the boat and go elsewhere. Noren was staring at his daughter, then to Ursa with wide eyes.

"All right, honey. Whatever you want." he said.

Noren departed with Kiyi and Zuko knelt down next to his mother, who remained kneeling on the dock with a anguished look on her face.

"Give her time." he said, gently.

Ursa smiled sadly. "I know. Not every little girl has to deal with her mother changing faces."

Azula brushed passed them, sneering down at Ursa. "Mmm, hurts doesn't it? Being neglected for another parent."

"Azula!" Zuko snapped.

Ursa rose to her feet and watched Azula go, still deeply apologetic. "It seems she isn't the only one..."

Later that afternoon, Sen was tending to a few things in the kitchen; making food for Azula and her to share. She failed to notice servants immediately depart behind her, but felt Ursa's presence.

"I have not seen Noren." Sen told her, formally.

"Actually..." Ursa said, with a hesitant smile, "I was hoping to speak with you."

Sen paused in her task, looking back at the older woman with a small frown. "Oh." She turned her attention back to her task. "Well...alright. What do you wish to talk about?"

"You, actually." Ursa replied, approaching her. "What are you making there?"

"Something for Azula and I to share tonight."

"Ah, so you can cook?"

"Not much and certainly not well. But what I have learned, I learned a little from Mai and Ty Lee. They've been quite understanding, despite everything." Sen still didn't look at her. "Katara as well. I'm not experienced much in these things. My life was spent being a warrior, not a doting girlfriend."

"How did you come to meet my daughter?" Ursa asked.

Sen stared at her, frowning. The question was odd, but she thought it didn't hurt much to answer. So, she sighed softly, a smile touching her lips. "Admiral Arashi, did you remember him?"

"No."

"He was my father. He was a sycophant to your husband. He often took me to the war meetings, but I was never allowed to engage. You may not remember seeing me in the courtyard gardens waiting for him to finish." Sen explained, "It was before all of this." She gestured briefly to her scars.

"Your father did that to you?"

"Yes. Because I disobeyed him - for the first time. Something Zuko and I understand, I suppose..."

Ursa looked shocked.

"Did anyone know or suspect?"

"Mm, no. Everyone just assumed that I was loyal to the throne and nothing more, as most of us were. Zuko figured it out when we were on Ember Island, but he chose to keep it to himself."

"I see."

Sen made her way over to a small fire pit to retrieve a pot of tea she had been making. Ursa watched her work in silence for a moment; she realized that Sen was larger than most women and she had been clearly built for war and conquest - her husband's ambition had a part in that to play.

"I was wandering the world, carrying out the will of Fire Lord Ozai," Sen continued, pouring the tea water in two cups. "It was a good thing at the time, too. I did what I could to convince myself that my adoration for her was wrong; that I was reaching for the stars. I hid my face behind my mask and tried to forget Azula. But fate had a funny way of bringing me back to her. I was taking down a small Earth Kingdom colony when received word from the Fire Lord that the Sea Ravens were needed."

_Sen was standing with one food pinning an earthbender with her heel at his head. The man was whimpering in pain, bloodied and burned. Her mask glittered in the light of the sun._

_"Sen!" Jia was approaching with a scroll. "I have a message from the Fire Lord!"_

_Sen reached out to take the scroll. "I'll read it. But first, I will need this one to be quiet."_

_She pressed her heel harder into the whimpering man and he yelped before going silent. Jia grinned and laughed down at his misery._

"I admit, I was excited. I was going to see her again for the first time in years." Sen continued to tell the story with a smile on her face, "She wouldn't recognize me, surely; but I had another chance. It was..." She made a face and her heart froze when she remembered her first time confessing her feelings to Azula. "It was difficult. But we've been healing and calming. Both of us."

"I'm glad to hear it." Ursa smiled sadly, even as she said this.

"In the end, I may have become what my father wanted," Sen looked down at the tea she'd made, "But she was my saving grace. Maybe I was hers. I'd like to think so." A chuckle from Sen. "It's been a difficult road trying to shed my father's influence, but the Avatar says as long as I keep trying, there's always hope."

Ursa was quiet, watching as Sen gathered the tray of food and tea with the intent to take them to Azula.

"I have much to atone for." Ursa said, following alongside her.

"Maybe so." Sen replied, her tone softening only a little, "And Azula won't forgive you easily. I don't expect her to. It's not in her nature to just forget things. But..." Sen's lips thinned slightly. "As long as you try and continue to do so. Maybe you can be that mother she needs again."

Ursa stopped, watching as Sen stepped outside in the courtyard where Azula was practicing her bending. Blue flames burst from her hands, her stance strong and proud. When she saw Sen, she smiled and walked over to take a seat with her on a nearby bench. Sen offered her the tea first and Azula took a drink before flinching and laughing. Ursa watched a good-natured pout touch Sen's face.

She'd never seen Azula that way, before. Relaxed. Tempered and without that disturbing drive in her eyes. But Ursa knew that had been partially her fault as well; Ozai merely gave Azula that edge, but she did nothing to help change that, either.

"...learn from our tea-loving uncle, Sen..."

"I thought I had it right this time..."

"It's fine. Not all of us can be tea connoisseurs."

Sen laughed a little. "Maybe so."

O

Sen looked up at the house, unsure.

Katara and Azula stood at either side of her, studying the enormous home of what could only belong to Sen's grandparents.

"So...this is the home of Katsu and Cho...your grandparents," Azula said.

"Yes. So it would seem." Sen replied.

Katara eyed the great doors of the home with surprise. They were carved in intricate designs of dragons and she ran her hand over them. Sen still hadn't moved from her spot and looked at Azula.

"They're my father's parents." she said.

"And?" Azula said, a little perplexed by her hesitation. As she saw it, this shouldn't have been so difficult for her. "If they end up being as awful as he was, just give them the same lesson. You're strong enough to do so now, Sen. You don't have to be nervous."

Katara frowned at her and Azula shrugged, emotionless to the thought. The waterbender approached Sen and shook her head.

"You don't have to do this, Sen," she told her.

"No." Sen replied, with a doubtful smile, "I have to do the same as we did for Zuko and Azula. I have to find closure for myself."

She reached up toward a knocker and lightly tapped it against the door. It took some time waiting before an old man opened it; he had Arashi's eyes and jaw and there was no mistaken that he was her grandfather. His hair was tied up in a bun and he was dressed in evening robes.

"Yes?" he said.

"Are you Katsu?" Sen asked.

"I am. Who's asking?" Katsu questioned, with a suspicious frown.

"It's me. I'm Sen. Your granddaughter." Sen told him, with a careful, hopeful smile.

Katsu's frown softened and his eyes widened; he studied the larger woman up and down, as if he was just seeing her for the first time. He walked closer to Sen and reached up to put his arms around her in an embrace. Sen let out a tearful gasp before she smiled and returned the embrace.

"By the spirits!" Katsu whispered. "Finally!"

Katsu invited them inside and while Katara and Sen sat down with him, Azula chose to wander around the room and study every trinket on shelves and walls. She ran a finger over a sheathed sword with a curious note and refused tea from a servant when it was offered.

"And I simply had - Oh! Please, don't touch that. It's an old war relic." Katsu told her, looking over when she unsheathed the sword.

Azula looked up and the servant smiled weakly at her, speaking carefully at the corner of his mouth. "Yes, he really doesn't like strangers touching his things."

Azula murmured thoughtfully before sheathing the sword right back into the scabbard rather violently. Katsu flinched with a shock stare on his face before he looked at Sen, who seemed quite happy to speak to him.

"Your face. What happened?" Katsu asked, sympathetically.

Sen cleared her throat and looked briefly at Katara before she answered. "Father."

"My son did that to you?" Katsu whispered, eyes wide in horror. "By the spirits, I didn't teach him this cruelty! Why did he hurt you?"

"He was teaching me to be a warrior," Sen explained, quietly. She took a sip of her tea and absently wiped her hand against her thigh. "He wanted me to kill Water Tribe prisoners. I refused."

Katsu scowled furiously, fists clenching now. "If I'd known - "

Sen looked conflicted before sighing. "It's all right. But..." She tilted her head, her eyes questioning. "I still don't understand. Why didn't you see me after all this time? Did I...do something wrong? Was I..." She hesitated and glanced up, calming herself before speaking. "...also not what you wanted?"

The question was heartbreaking and made Azula freeze where she stood. She swallowed slightly. Katara looked at Sen sympathetically and Katsu was horrified by the question.

"No! No, not at all!" he said, setting his teacup down and taking her hands in his. "I was thrilled to hear that I had a grandchild. I did see you the day you were born. I held you in my arms. You were such a lovely child and we all celebrated."

Azula rolled her eyes as she walked by, arms folded. "If she was so lovely, why did you stop seeing her, then?" she said, surreptitiously.

Katsu looked up at her hesitantly before Azula sat down beside Sen, crossing her legs and eyeing him with a cold smile on her face. Sen looked at him questionably and Katara also wanted to know. He glanced at each face before he sighed through his nose.

"Well..." he began.

Just then, there was the sound of approaching footsteps and an old woman entered the room; she had similar features to Sen, wearing Fire Nation riding clothes for training to ride Komodo Rhinos. She looked at the three women sitting there and she smiled a little.

"Oh! What do we have here?" she asked.

"Ah, hello, Cho." Katsu said, a little uncertain. "I didn't expect you back so soon."

Azula immediately sensed a change in the air and she smiled thinly. She knew exactly what was happening.

Cho took a seat beside Katsu and he nervously chuckled, gesturing to the three. "They've come to visit me. Cho? This is...Sen."

Cho's smile disappeared quickly and she looked at Sen. The stare was unkind for a few seconds. She didn't react the way that Sen had expected and she understood what that look meant; she'd seen the look many times before. Her smile disappeared as well as she looked at Katsu.

"Is she the reason you didn't want to see me?" she asked, quietly.

"Sen - " Katsu began.

"Wait," Sen interrupted, her tone darkening a pitch. But her eyes sought answers and pain still lingered in her voice, "Tell me. How exactly do you not visit your only grandchild? How do you spend so many years not coming to see me when you KNEW what Arashi was doing to me?"

Katsu looked uneasily at Cho and she smiled coldly. "How exactly does my son marry into peasant trash?" she whispered.

The question was like being stabbed in the chest. It drew a startled gasp from Sen and she looked like she'd been slapped for no reason.

"Cho!" Katsu snapped at his wife, "You insult our grandchild! We should be celebrating her return to us! She's a war hero and she's worked hard!"

"What are we truly celebrating, Katsu?" Cho whispered, with venom. "A perversion of our bloodline?"

Azula let out a small scoff. "Here we go..." she said, quietly.

Katara let out an angry sound and rose. "How could you think that?" she demanded, "She's your granddaughter and you just - "

Sen's hand shot up in front of the other woman to silence her. Katara looked over at her worriedly and Sen's eyes hardened. Her tone became as frigid as it did with Ursa. She was smiling, but the stare could buckle multitudes. "No, Katara. She clearly has something to say. She should say it."

Cho nodded coldly. "Chikako was born of muddled Fire Nation blood," she said, "I told Arashi not to marry her. I tried to make him see reason, but he would not. It would bring doom to our family name. But he didn't listen."

"Sen, he loved your mother!" Katsu piped up, desperate to calm the situation.

"For a time, maybe," Azula quipped, with a small shrug, "It's quite obvious what happened here. You shamed Arashi so much that he chose to take it out on his only child. In fact, you're probably the reason Sen was burned to begin with."

Sen's body was shaking, but her face was strangely calm. Katara looked at her worriedly. "Sen?" she said.

Sen's breath shook out of her like a storm. "How could you do that to me? I was only a child!" she whispered, "Do you know what Arashi did to me? Do you know the nights I had spent driven to train until my bones cracked? My head filled with ideas that I was nothing? That I meant...nothing but to die in battle in the name of my nation? That I was made to feel...ugly? Disgusting?"

Katsu reached out to her. "Sen, please. I didn't - "

Sen's eyes screamed to burn it. Burn all of it. Azula could see it and she smiled a little, running a hand across Sen's back and whispering in her ear. Katara shook her head when she saw the storm raging; the urge to lose control and just tear it all down in her wake.

"Sen, you're better than this," Katara urged, "Remember all the progress you've made."

"On the other hand, you can always ruin them." Azula offered. "Order off menu. Treat yourself, Sen. I certainly won't judge."

"No, Sen! Think about how far you've come! They're horrible people. They're NOT worth it!"

Sen continued to shake, her fists clenching tightly. Her hands flickered with bright red flames. Swirls of violet were there, and her breath shook.

Then, she stopped.

Sighing now, her eyes softened and she put on an emotionless expression. She rose and looked at the two, noticing the fear there.

Spirits, it would be so easy.

"No... I appreciate the closure from you both," Sen said, her breath hoarse. "In fact, I am glad of it. I understand what my father was. Because of you both. And you..." She looked at Katsu and her eyes were colder. "You lied to my face. You didn't teach my father to be cruel, but you didn't teach him not to be."

She looked at Azula and reached out to take her arm. "I will be reopening the mines."

"You can't do that!" Cho spat. "Those mines belong to our family and - "

"I AM. Arashi's sole heir." Sen interrupted, with a cruel smile, "You have no say to my claim. I will be firing the workers of your factories and rehiring them under my authority to provide for them. You will be without a fortune and cast out of the Capital."

Katara looked stunned and Azula certainly was proud of her for such an act. She chuckled softly, regarding her as they walked out of the house.

"Sen, please!" Katsu begged.

"I don't want to see you again for several more years." Sen whispered, emotion in her tone.

And with that, they departed.

Leaving behind Sen's family for good.

O

Sen was kneeling beneath an enormous tree where a stone statue had been placed. Azula walked up to her, sighed and knelt down with her.

"So this is where you are."

"My mother's grave," Sen replied, quietly.

Azula looked down at the statue and noticed that Sen had placed a portrait of Chikako in question on it - Sen certainly took after her mother.

There were little incense sticks burning next to to the portrait. Sen wasn't crying, but her eyes were a storm of sadness and conflict. It made sense, really. She had closure now, but at a cost.

"Hm, your mother." Azula said, her tone quieter now. She looked at Sen. "I don't get it. What your grandparents told you. It wasn't the happy ending you envisioned."

"Sometimes closure isn't always a happy one," Sen told her. "Still, it's allowed me to understand the truth and that's what I needed."

A long sigh. "If you say so, Sen. I still think you should have burned their home to the ground, at least."

Sen smiled a little. "I thought about that, yes."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Hm..." Sen was silent for a moment. Then, she shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe I thought taking away what they valued more than their own family was worse."

"You're going through with it, then."

"I am."

"What about your position as admiral? Isn't that what you wanted?"

Sen thought about that for a moment. Then, she chuckled, shrugged her shoulders and sighed, leaning back a little. "Perhaps it's time for an early retirement."

Much later, she was sitting across from Aang, legs crossed in a meditative position.

"Now, take a deep breath..." he encouraged.

Sen closed her eyes and inhaled before exhaling slowly. Aang smiled his approval and nodded. "Katara tells me you kept your temper in check. That's good. I'm glad my teachings are working."

She made a face. "I almost failed."

"Well...that's okay." Aang assured her. "The important part is you didn't burn their house down. It's a good start."

"Thank you."

"Still..." Aang looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry it didn't work out with your grandparents."

"Hm, it's alright." Sen replied, "I suppose I should have expected it after they failed to visit me all my life. Still, it's as I told Azula; I needed closure and I got it. I feel good knowing the truth now."

"That's great. Sometimes that's all we need to go forward." Aang closed his eyes and focused on meditating again.

The two were silent for a moment and continued to meditate.

O

Factory workers and guards were gathered in the grand hall as they waited. They were talking, confused by the order they'd received from their superiors.

"So, what do you think it's about?"

"I don't know. I hope they're not letting us go."

"Letting us go?! I can't lose this job! I have kids to feed!"

"We ALL have kids to feed."

Tension and uncertainty was in the air and they waited. Meanwhile, Sen was standing on the other side of the windows overlooking the grand hall. Azula watched her for a moment and Sen straightened the cloak on her armor before she looked hopefully at her.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Like you're going to pass a kidney stone." Azula quipped.

Sen laughed. "Yes, I am a little nervous about this."

"Don't be. You are Arashi's heir. Those people below are under your command," Azula reminded her, "But remember what you've planned. They will follow you."

"You gave good advice."

"Of course. I am a people person, Sen."

Sen laughed quietly before nodding and stepping out into the hall. The workers and guards looked up at the sight of her as she was eventually flanked by two more soldiers.

"You've all received the news, I take it?" she began, "I am Arashi's heir and I have claim to his estate including the factories and mines."

"What happened to Katsu?" someone yelled from the crowd.

Sen eyed the man who had spoken and she took a small inhale before continuing, her arms held behind her back. "Katsu and Cho are no longer in command of the work here." she explained, "Tomorrow, you'll begin the process of continuing your work, but under my leadership."

A few murmurs and confused sounds in the crowds.

"It has come to my attention that your pay for your families has been less than adequate," Sen looked at a soldier. "How many workers in this factory?"

"Fifty seven." the soldier told her.

"Hm..." Sen smiled down at them. "Such small staff. And yet, the wealthy cannot afford to pay you properly? What a shame. Some of you have even thanked Katsu. But you should thank yourselves. Because without you, there would be no Fire Nation. Which is why I've decided to provide you with suitable housing quarters just outside."

She gestured to the doors nearby and the workers looked stunned, filing out of the factory to see that construction had already begun on grand houses. Some of them had never seen such places before. Sen was already walking outside to meet them.

"You will also be payed in the earnings with shipment of Sky Metal," Sen continued to explain, "There will no longer be guards and no further abuse from them. Those guards will be banished from the Capital, but those who have shown discipline and behaved humanely will be compensated."

One of the workers looked back at her in delighted surprise. "I can bring my family here?"

"You can." Sen replied.

Her words certainly earned her favor among the workers; they talked excitedly to one another and it certainly got the point across that Sen was better for them than their previous superior. But Sen hadn't done it for validation or to earn their trust.

After all, she'd destroyed lives in the war herself. Many of Katsu and Cho's workers weren't even Fire Nation. Some of them had been brought in to pay of debts.

She had a lot of work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, one more chapter to go. I hate the thought of ending this fic because I've had so much fun writing it.


	8. Faith

~o~

_One Year Later_

Sen and Azula made their way toward the orphanage; Sen was sitting on her Komodo Rhino while Azula was being escorted by palanquin. She insisted that Zuko continue to provide it for her. After all, it was proper for a princess to have these things, no matter what.

"Are you worried?" Sen questioned, as she rode alongside her.

"Not at all. Why would I be?" Azula glanced briefly at her through the curtains. "I've dealt with children before."

"Yes, but you're going to be a mother to one," Sen pointed out.

"Are YOU nervous?"

"Oh, absolutely." Sen smiled a little. She had no shame in admitting that. "But I think it'll be a good thing. We're both capable and you can be a better mother."

Azula was quiet in the palanquin for a moment. "How do you know?"

"I have a feeling."

"Mmm, one of your 'feelings'..." Azula said, dryly.

Sen chuckled a little and the palanquin bearers glanced at each other, unsure about the exchange and if they should be hearing something this personal.

"Well, how was the trip to the doctor?" Sen continued.

"Same as always." Azula replied, dismissively. "She seems to think I've been getting better."

"It's to help. I'm glad to hear it."

"You believe me, then."

"Believe you?"

"That I'm getting better?"

"I do." Sen chose her words carefully. "It's important for you to get help, Azula. This therapy is good and will help you heal."

"Mmm, and it's what Zuko wants..."

"Well...yes." Sen agreed, with a hesitant smile. "It's the only way we could have adopted, after all. But I hope you don't dwell just on that. Dwell on the progress you've made."

Azula had nothing to say after that. She simply sighed quietly, watched the pattern of the palanquin's curtains and the shadows dancing from them.

Well, it helped. She didn't hear her mother's voice anymore always haunting her mind; not like she had before reuniting with Ursa. Everything was better. And Sen had been supportive, which wasn't something she was used to, even after all this time of knowing her.

When they arrived at the orphanage doors, the bearers set the palanquin down and Azula stepped out. Sen stepped down from her Komodo Rhino and gave the animal a little pet.

"Wait here, Wataru." she soothed. "I'll be back."

The animal grunted in response. Sen and Azula turned when they were greeted by the headmistress; an older woman with her arms outstretched in greeting.

"Welcome!" she said, "I am very proud to welcome you here, Princess."

Azula sighed, eager to get on with it. "Yes, yes, I know," she replied, "Just take us inside."

The headmistress smiled nervously at her, then to Sen before she bowed once and led them inside. Sen could immediately smell the sweet scent of flowers and she noticed that many of them had been planted in pots nearby. It was a rather pleasant sight.

"Many of our children here have come from colonies dispersed by the war," the headmistress explained, as she led Sen and Azula down the hallways.

Sen could hear children playing outside and looked out to see groups of them chasing one another, some talking, others laughing and playing in the grass. She smiled a little as she watched them. It was a nice sight and for a moment, she felt a pang of sadness as she thought of her denied childhood.

She would never let that happen again.

"Do you have historical records of the girls here?" Sen asked.

The headmistress nodded, smiling now. "Of course! Right this way."

Sen started to follow, but noticed Azula did not. She looked at her with a small note and Azula seemed distracted.

"You go ahead, Sen." Azula told her.

"Are you sure?"

Azula waved her off and Sen nodded, following the headmistress down the halls, discussing her history, current job and everything that came with it. Azula watched the kids playing and her mind went to her childhood when she played with Zuko. She didn't know if she'd be a good mother, but it was important to Sen.

She still didn't know why Sen wanted to adopt, but after some convincing with Zuko and assurance that Azula would continue her therapy... Maybe it wouldn't -

"Excuse me!"

Azula grunted when a young girl dressed in a funny bird costume pushed passed her. She blinked in disbelief, staring down at her as she slumped to the floor with a disappointed huff. She looked up at Azula and the woman stared back with a small shrug.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I told the headmistress I wanted to be a phoenix when I was six." the girl protested. "I'm eight now. Phoenix's are lame."

Azula sputtered a small laugh. She thought of her father as The Phoenix King, for some reason.

"I wanted to be a dragon, but we're not allowed to firebend," the girl continued to protest. "How can I be a dragon if I can't use my fire?"

Azula murmured thoughtfully before she smiled. "I have an idea."

O

The girl was wearing her dragon costume now and she danced around happily in the courtyard. It was a bright blue dragon costume with over-sized eyes, long tail and wings. Azula took amusement in the child's delight, even just for a little bit. Plus, it was nice having her so happy with her.

"Wow, I can't believe you took this from the storage!" the girl said, spinning once more in a circle before she looked up at Azula, "But...what about fire? I can't firebend because I'm not allowed. The other girls think it's kind of lame anyway."

Azula smirked. "I have something to show you. Want to see?"

The girl grinned happily, nodding. "Yeah!"

"Step back, then."

She took a few huge steps back and Azula inhaled slowly before exhaling. She stood in a firebending stance perfected from years of training. This would be good. The child would be impressed.

"If you want to be a dragon, then you be a dragon!" Azula declared, bending blue flame from her mouth with a powerful roar.

She expected the girl to be terrified afterwards as they often were, but the girl grinned and clapped her hands. "Cool!" she cried.

Azula blinked and let out a small, surprised chuckle. The girl took her hand and eagerly led her away. "All the girls are gonna be so jealous when they see me with you!"

Azula laughed softly again as she watched her, a little delighted with the child's excitement.

"So, what's your name, anyway?"

"Hina."

Shortly afterwards, Sen and the headmistress were making their way back and they noticed Azula with Hina, practicing bending in the courtyard. The other girls watched on, stunned and worried.

"Hina!" the headmistress yelled, rushing outside to stop her. "You know firebending is against the rules!"

Hina lowered her arms with disappointed. "Yes, headmistress."

Azula waved a dismissing hand. "Lighten up. We were just having fun."

The headmistress looked toward the other girls before she scowled down at Hina. "This one is known to be a troublemaker, Princess."

Azula rolled her eyes.

Sen frowned a little, approaching the scene. She knelt down in front of Hina with a warm smile. "Did you make that costume yourself?"

Hina brightened and thrust her hands in the air. "Yeah! Is it cool?"

Sen laughed gently. "Very cool."

She looked up at Azula curiously and tilted her head, eyes questioning. Azula looked down at Hina, then met Sen's eyes and nodded her approval.

Later, the headmistress chose to talk to them about their interest in Hina in her office.

"Are you quite certain you're prepared to handle her...uniqueness?" the headmistress questioned.

Sen and Azula looked at each other.

"I'm afraid I don't understand the problem." Azula said, with a frown.

"Hina came to us from the abandoned town north of the Capital," the headmistress explained, "She lost her family when she was three and has been prone to disciplinary problems. For Hina, it rarely works out."

Sen frowned, determined. "Well, it will in this case."

O

The girls were waving Hina goodbye as she walked out of the orphanage with Sen and Azula. Hina waved goodbye back and looked up at the two women with a wide, happy grin.

"So what do I call you?" she asked.

"Mom, will be just fine," Sen told her.

Hina looked up now, awestruck by the sight of Wataru. She eagerly rushed up to him with the speed of an airbender and threw her hands in the air.

"A Komodo Rhino!" she cried, "Wow, they're bigger up close."

Wataru grunted in response.

"She's excited for your pet," Azula said, dryly. "Of course she is."

Wataru sniffed at Hina slightly before huffing a small gust of breath in her face. She leaned back, coughed a little and giggled before whispering to him. Then, she looked at the palanquin and Sen gestured to Azula as the princess started making her way into it.

"Maybe you should ride with her and when we're home, I'll teach you how to ride a Komodo Rhino," she whispered back.

"Okay!"

Hina eagerly climbed into the palanquin with Azula, which earned a few grunts from the bearers below. She stared down at Hina, who curled up into her lap with a bright eyed smile.

"Onward!" Hina declared.

Azula blinked, a bit shocked by the child's eagerness before she smirked down at the palanquin bearers. "You heard her. Set course for home."

And with that, they were on their way. Hina looked up at Azula, awestruck.

"So, you're a princess?" she asked.

"I am." Azula replied.

"Wait, you're not one of the kinds of princess' who wears, like, dresses and stuff, are you? And plays with dolls?" Hina made a face.

Azula grimaced in disgust. "Ew. No."

It earned a snicker from Sen outside.

"Good!" Hina continued, "Princess' should be STRONG and fight."

Sen smiled to herself and chuckled warmly, happy to see Azula getting such attention from Hina. She knew that Azula needed something like that.

O

They arrived at home and Hina was the first inside, taking in the vast entryway and various decorations. Sen and Azula watched as she started to explore. They wanted her to take her time to grow accustomed to the place that would be her home now.

"So would you like a tour?" Sen asked, giving Azula a glance.

She smirked, nodding once.

Hina looked a bit confused. "A tour? Do I need money?"

A glance exchanged between the two women before Sen chuckled, shaking her head. "No. Come on."

They walked the house together and Azula indicated a portrait of herself and Sen hanging on the wall; unlike previous paintings, Azula was sitting close to her and they were both smiling. Hina looked up at the painting with amazement and Azula smiled.

"Yes, Sen and I had that done at the royal palace," she explained. "It truly captured our strength, didn't it?"

Sen smiled at her. "Maybe we can have it updated and you put into it?"

Hina brightened at the idea.

"Alright, would you like to see your room?" Sen asked.

"Yeah!"

Sen and Azula led Hina to her room on the upper floor and Hina was amazed to see how enormous it was; it had a great view of the Capital below and she even had her own balcony. A few dragon statues had been placed at the corners as well as furniture necessary for anything that she needed.

"This is all mine?" Hina exclaimed, delighted as she started to bounce on the enormous bed.

"It is. And you don't even have to share." Azula told her.

"I never had one before." Hina continued to bounce on the bed.

"A room to yourself?" Sen asked.

"No. A bed."

Azula and Sen looked at each other, a bit taken by the words. Sen looked a little sympathetic and Azula sighed quietly through her nose. It didn't surprise her to hear that Hina had so very little.

"Well, that's going to be different from now on." Azula replied, "You'll have whatever you need."

Hina stopped bouncing and rushed up to them, putting her arms around them both. Sen smiled and Azula was surprised by the sudden embrace. She reached up with one long-nailed hand, held it over Hina's head and hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Sen looked at Azula and gave her a reassuring nod before Azula eventually touched the crown of Hina's head.

"Thank you." Hina said, in Sen's trouser leg. She was hiding tears. "I'll be the best daughter. I promise."

The comment was strange, but neither one responded to it.

O

Hina was sitting at the table, waiting for something to eat. Azula set a tray of Mochi balls down in front of her and Hina picked one up, eagerly eating them. She lit up with a murmur of approval and Azula smiled down at her, leaning against the table on her elbows.

"You know, this was my favorite snack as well when I was your age. I demanded the servants bring them to me every week." she said.

Hina looked at her with wide eyes. "You told adults what to do when you were my age?"

"Mm-hm." Azula looked quite proud of that.

"And they had to listen?"

"They did." Azula smirked at her. "I was the princess. Anything I said was to be obeyed without question."

"Wow." Hina whispered, between chews.

Azula made a small note of agreement.

"What about your mom?" Hina asked. "Didn't she make food for you?"

Azula's smile thinned slightly before she shook her head. "Meals were prepared by the servants. Not the parents. They were much too busy."

Her eyes were distant for a moment and Hina noticed it. She frowned thoughtfully and finished one of the Mochi balls before looking at her curiously.

"Mom? How come you don't talk about her?" she asked.

"Hm," Azula tapped her fingers on the table slightly. "I suppose I don't like to."

"Is that why you have to go to the head doctor?"

Azula frowned pointedly at her now. "Who told you about that?" she asked.

Hina quickly lowered her eyes. "No one."

"Hina. Who was it?" Azula asked, her tone hardening. "Was it Sen?"

Hina bit her lip and her eyes began to well. Azula's angry look smoothed out and Sen stepped into the room, dusting herself off a little. When she saw the condition, she looked worried.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Hina knows about my trips to therapy. You didn't tell her, did you?" Azula snapped.

"No! No, I didn't." Sen looked at Hina curiously. "Who told you about that, Hina?"

Hina began to cry and the two stared at each other, shocked. Sen shook her head and looked at Hina, troubled by the sudden tears. Azula folded her arms across her chest, unsure of how to react this time.

"Hina, what's wrong?" Sen asked, "Tell us. We're your parents now."

"Please...don't be mad," Hina pleaded. "But...Wataru told me about mom's trips to the head doctor."

The two blinked, stunned by the response. For once, Azula had no dry, witty quip to add.

"You... My Komodo Rhino told you?" Sen was trying to understand.

Hina wiped her tears on her eyes. "I...I heard him. He told me." she stammered. She shook her head tearfully and quickly began to plead with them. "Don't take me back to the orphanage. Please."

"A Faunal Linguist. Of course." Azula's features lit up now. "That explains why you were so eager to see Sen's pet and why the headmistress informed us that you had 'disciplinary problems'."

Hina looked at her worriedly and Azula continued. "I've read about them in my father's study. They were children of seers. It was rumored they were gifted by the Dragons with immense skills of language. They're very rare and I thought they all but died out. Seems as if one of your ancestor's ancient gifts awoke itself within you."

Sen looked at Hina. "How long have you heard them?"

"S-Since I was three." Hina told her, sniffling. "It happened when I was outside and it was really...foggy. But it got clearer. The other parents didn't like me talking to animals and told me I was bad."

Sen reached for her and picked her up. She smiled reassuringly. "Hina, you're not bad." she assured her, "You have a wonderful gift. You're a firebender who can talk to animals."

"So...it's okay?" Hina asked, with a tearful smile.

"Of course!" Sen told her. "Right, Azula?"

"Yes. If the other parents didn't see what a prize you were, then they are weak for it," Azula replied, with a smile of her own, "We will train you to be a powerful firebender worthy of their fears!"

Sen stared at her skeptically and Azula chuckled, shaking her head.

"Old habits die hard, I suppose."

Later that afternoon, Hina was practicing her bending with Azula and Sen in the courtyard. They wanted to know more about her ability and she was more relaxed now that they knew and had no intent on taking her back to the orphanage.

"...it's not like talking to you." Hina explained, "It's...like having an idea. Or a sneeze in your head. They just put the idea in my head and I know what they're thinking and feeling."

"Interesting." Azula said; she glanced toward Wataru, "Tell me. What's Wataru thinking right now as he's watching us?"

Hina looked over at the Komodo Rhino resting in his pen and waited before smiling. She looked up at Azula. "He says he's hungry and he wants to eat. He's wondering how long we're going to practice."

Sen chuckled and made her way over to Wataru. She stroked the animal's sides and smiled down at him. "Don't worry. I'll give you something."

She wandered into the house for a second, only to return with a large piece of raw meat in hand. Wataru lifted his head, grunting softly when she placed it in front of him. He began to eat.

"Wataru's been by my side through thick and thin," Sen explained to Hina, who came over to sit beside her. "I've ridden him into countless battles."

"Wow." Hina gave Wataru a few pats while he ate.

Azula sat down beside Sen. "Yes. Both your mother and this animal have seen their share of conquest." she agreed, "It must be difficult for him to live a life of silence now."

_Fire._

_Sen and Wataru were there among the chaos of battle. Sen reached down and retrieved a thick coil of chain before she held it in both hands, igniting it in violet fire. Wataru charged forward with her spinning the flaming chain as they raced toward excaping bandits. Flames licked the animal's sides as he jumped high and Sen swung the chain down, catching one of the bandits around the ankle and searing his leg._

_Sen dragged him across the ground, Wataru still running and fighting through the battle._

Hina leaned against Wataru's sides before smiling. "He says he's tired now, but it's fine. He likes the quiet."

It was true. Wataru had seen his share of combat by Sen's side. The scars on his hide, the places where he had suffered wounds and burns. Truly, he had been a loyal companion.

O

Kiyi and Hina were playing in the yard, laughing happily.

It wasn't until Azula joined in, demonstrating some new firebending moves that had both girls cheering. Katara watched the sight with Sen.

"Hm, how are things going with you?" Katara asked.

"Good." Sen told her, smiling. "Azula's taken well to Hina. I'm seeing a new light in her. She thinks she can be better than Ursa."

Katara let out a short laugh. "Well...as long as Hina's happy with her and she's growing up in a healthy environment, then that's good."

"I want to teach Hina how to be a good firebender. I want her to understand that she can be better."

"How's that going for you?"

The two women watched as Azula raced around the yard with Hina on her back, proudly proclaiming herself as the almighty blue dragon. Kiyi yelped and squealed as she ran away.

Sen gave her a funny smile. "We're working on it."

"I've never seen her like this before. It's...weird, but nice." Katara said.

Sen nodded. "She's been doing well with her therapy." she explained. "I told you, it would be better. She only needed someone who wouldn't give up on her."

Katara put a hand on her shoulder. "And I'm glad it was you, Sen."

A happy smile was Sen's response.

"Oh..." Katara looked over her shoulder. "Did you tell Azula about Ursa and Zuko coming over? They really want to meet Hina."

Sen made a face. "She knows." She watched Azula fall to the ground with Hina pretending to be the dragon. "But I think it'll be okay."

"If you're sure."

"I am."

Sure enough, a servant appeared at the door, announcing Zuko's arrival. Sen was the first to greet him and gave a small grunt when Toph pushed her way through them.

"Move! Let me see the kid!" she said.

Sen blinked in surprise and gestured to Hina, who waited at her side. "This is Hina." she said.

Toph smirked down at her. "Well, look at you. How's it been dealing with these two?"

Sen and Azula looked at each other, uncomfortable with the joke. Toph laughed and shook her head. "Come on, guys. I'm just kidding."

Azula rolled her eyes. "Right. Your famous...wit. The kind that isn't funny."

"Lighten up, princess."

Zuko knelt down to Hina. "It's nice to meet you, Hina."

"Nice to meet you, uncle Zuzu."

Zuko laughed painfully. "I guess I have to deal with that joke twice now, huh?"

"Yep! Mom told me!"

Zuko glanced up at Azula, who smiled innocently. Too innocently.

Ursa stood behind him and smiled, uncomfortable. Azula's smile thinned when she saw her, but she said nothing. Ursa was holding something in her hands and Noren came over to take it. It was an intricate box and it clearly caught Azula's interest. She frowned, pointing at it.

"What is that?" she asked.

"A gift." Ursa told her, "For you and your new family." She smiled hesitantly. "If you want it."

Azula looked at Sen before she folded her arms across her chest, shifting a little. The thought was interesting to her - after all, she did like gifts.

"Fine." she replied, taking the offering. "Let's see what sort of tool you plan to use to pacify me."

Hina and Sen watched Azula take the little box over to a table to open it. When she did, it was a key and a few articles of clothing. Azula picked up the key, studied the little Fire Nation emblem on it.

"What's this?" she asked.

"The key to a new beach house on Ember Island," Ursa offered, "We had it prepared for you. We had...hoped the three of you would join us this weekend." She looked up at the others and offered as well. "All of you can, if you'd like."

Hina lit up now and eagerly tugged on Sen's arms. "Can we go? I've always wanted to go! Please?"

Sen wavered a little and looked at Azula. She didn't want to make the decision without her. "Would you like to, Azula?" she asked.

Azula frowned thoughtfully and it was clear that she wasn't so sure. After all, there were many memories associated with going there - good and bad, but mostly depressing.

"Fine. We can go."

Ursa looked happy and Noren beamed. "Good! Glad to hear it!" he said.

That evening, Sen and Azula were laying in bed; Sen was laying on her back, eyes closed and Azula on her side. Neither one of them were asleep.

"Azula, are you alright?" Sen asked.

"Mmm, I'm fine, Sen," Azula replied.

"We don't have to go if you're going to be uncomfortable," Sen offered, looking over at her.

Azula's features clouded in thought, but she didn't respond.

"I know it's still difficult for you." Sen continued, "But I want us all to be happy and comfortable while we're there. We can always go another time."

A long, dramatic sigh from Azula. "No, no, I don't want my mother having any satisfaction."

"I don't think - "

"Never mind." Azula muttered, with a huff as she sat up.

She laid herself across Sen's chest and the other woman shifted a little and put an arm around her waist. Azula found her perch with her hands crossed beneath her chin as she rested.

"I do so love the attention, don't get me wrong," Azula said, with a smirk, "And I love seeing my mother squirm as she makes desperate attempts to reconnect with me. But still..."

"It does bother you." Sen nodded. "I know it does. Only I get to know, right?"

Azula rolled her eyes with a snicker. "Don't let that go to your head."

"Mom!" Hina yelled from her room. "There's a turtle duck outside yelling at Wataru! He's saying bad adult words!"

Azula looked over her shoulder briefly before she stared at Sen with disbelief. Sen chuckled, shaking her head.

"I'll take care of it." she told her, rising. She shared a nice long, but chaste kiss with her. "Get some rest."

"The joys of motherhood, I suppose." Azula quipped.

"Mmhmm," Sen replied.

But she seemed happy nonetheless and Azula decided to take her up on that suggestion and sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said this would be the last chapter, but this went on longer than I thought it would, so I had to split it up. LOL. I wasn't too sure about writing it this way at first, but honestly? It was fun, so I did it anyway.


	9. Future

~o~

The trip to the doctor went as scheduled.

Azula sat down while the woman - Yui - greeted her as always.

"We've made a lot of progress this year, Azula," Yui told her.

The room smelled of incense. Azula found it distracting a little as she shifted around where she sat. Normally, she never felt so restless. But talking, despite her feelings about it, seemed to help just a little. At least she had someone to discuss this with. She could always tell Sen, but it wasn't quite the same. She didn't have her mother. She hadn't spoken to Ursa since they returned home. But Ursa didn't talk much to her either, but she did try.

Azula just felt that even after their discussion, her mother still didn't feel real. She had been so used to seeing a shade around every corner of her mind, whispering to her, trying to break her. The real Ursa was here and there was something about it she still couldn't trust.

"Let's talk about your daughter," Yui said, smiling, "I've heard you've adopted. That must have been a tough choice for you to make - choosing to take the role of a mother."

Azula shrugged her shoulders. "It wasn't hard and it was what Sen wanted."

"It's not what you wanted?" Yui asked.

"No, of course not. That isn't what I said," Azula replied, with a bite in her voice, "Sen wanted a daughter to raise. She wanted to be a better mother. I chose to come here so that none of you would hold it over her head."

"Hold what over her head?" Yui asked, curiously.

She knew the answer, but it was important for Azula to answer and acknowledge.

"You know what."

"It's better if you tell me, Azula."

"That I am crazy as they say," Azula scoffed, waving a hand in the air, "I'm a fallen princess without friends. I know what they say, doctor; they still think I'm a monster. No lovely words will change that."

Yui thought about her words for a moment before she leaned back. "Do you believe that?"

"No. I mean..." Azula frowned hesitantly. She didn't answer.

"Hm." Yui wrote something down on her paper.

"My mother wants us to go to Ember Island," Azula continued, quietly. "A cheap ploy to try and win back my favor, it seems."

Yui tilted her head. "I see. Why do you believe that?"

"What is there not to believe?" Azula asked, throwing her hands in the air. "My mother is doing everything that she can to buy back my trust!"

"Or..." Yui said, "I think your mother genuinely regrets her choices and is looking to reconnect with you in a way that she understands. You're trying to find a trap when there may not be one - " She held up one hand when Azula sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. " - and that comes easy for you, doesn't it? But, maybe your mother's afraid, too and maybe this is an effort to capture the happiness you had when your family was together."

"It wasn't mine," Azula argued, frowning. Her features smoothed out with a sigh. "It was always Zuko's. He always deserved her attentions."

Yui smiled sadly. "And there it is. In order for you to have your mother's love, you need to feel as if you deserve it."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean...you believe she saw you as a monster. So therefore, you feel that denies you any love from her."

For a second, there was vulnerability in Azula's stare. It came and went like lightning.

(She's right, you know.)

O

Sen tugged an enormous tree behind her and Hina watched with awe. "Wow, you're really strong, mom," she said, "How'd you get so strong?"

"Vegetables." Sen told her.

Hina looked thoughtful for a moment and caught Sen's eye. The woman winked at her and Hina pouted, folding her arms across her chest. Sen laughed gently and continued to carry the tree before setting it aside. Wataru watched her with a soft gurgle and Hina looked over at the animal before looking at Sen.

"He says it's crooked," she told her.

Sen made a face, studying it and tilting her head. "Hm. Yeah, I can see it now." She smiled over at her Komodo Dragon. "Thank you, Wataru."

Hina smiled brightly. "He says 'You're welcome'!"

They made their way back inside and Hina took a seat on the floor at the nearby table as Sen prepared tea. The sounds of doors opening turned their attention to Azula, who entered the house with a small huff. Hina eagerly rushed up to hug her, earning a grunt from the woman.

"Oh! What's the matter?" Azula asked, frowning.

"Nothing! I'm just happy to see you!"

Azula smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to respond to that. It would still take getting used to; being wanted to be seen by her child. After all, it wasn't like people other than Sen were always happy to be in her presence.

"Hina, perhaps you could practice your bending outside," Sen offered, "Let's give your mother a chance to unwind before we get ready to go to Ember Island."

Hina nodded her head. "Okay!"

"Also..." Sen stopped her with one hand before she could go. "You get to eat a whole plate of Mochi."

Hina grinned, took the plate and rushed outside.

Azula watched her go, then shook her head with amusement.

Sen shared a kiss with her before looking at her curiously. "How did it go?"

"As well as ever," Azula said, sitting her bag down onto the table. "And the palanquin bearers can't move quick enough. I want to wash. Come with me."

She started to walk by, but Sen watched her departing back, a little confused. "I don't need to wash now."

Azula smirked back at her, returned and rested her hands on the other woman's shoulders before she leaned close and whispered in her ear. It was soft, but carried a thinly veiled lust that she made no effort to conceal from the other woman. "But Sen... I do."

Sen immediately understood and her brows went up before she smiled, cheeks darkening. "Oh! I see."

Azula smirked, took Sen's hand and led her upstairs. "We're going to need to get properly cleaned before we go to Ember Island, understood?"

"Of course." Sen smiled, her cheeks already bright red.

O

The head of a large sea lion surfaced and Hina watched as the creature seemed to be pulling the boat. Azula was leaning her back against a railing with her arms crossed, and Sen was watching the animal with Hina.

Ursa, Noren, Zuko and Kiyi were there as well, sitting nearby beneath the little canopy. Zuko, despite being the Fire Lord, had chosen to dress in simple clothes for the trip. He still had to take time getting used to it and he didn't want to be like his father.

"It's wonderful to be having a family trip, isn't it?" Noren offered, to ease the silence between Ursa and Azula.

Azula calmly shrugged. "Perhaps."

Ursa smiled a little, pleased to hear that simple, albeit tart response.

Sen whispered to Hina. "What's he thinking now?" she asked, looking at the creature carrying their ferry.

Hina grinned brightly. "He thinks...huh." She tilted her head and looked sad. "He misses his family." She paused, leaned against the railing. "He had pups and they took them away. He thinks about his babies all the time."

Azula's features softened and for a moment, her eyes were sad; Hina's words tugged away at her mind.

They arrived at the docks of Ember Island and Zuko was the first to lead them. He stopped when he was given a flier and the look on his face was so funny, it made Hina laugh.

"The Ember Island players have another play tonight," Zuko told them, "It's called 'The Dragon Princess and Her Knight. I think it's about Azula and Sen."

Sen and Azula quickly took the flier to look at it. Azula made a funny face and pointed at the images. "Is that supposed to be my hair?"

"My scar doesn't look as bad in this picture." Sen mused.

Hina eagerly took the flier to look and she smiled up at them. "A story about you? Can we go see it?"

Sen and Azula looked at each other, unsure. Noren and Ursa smiled a little.

"A play about you two would be nice!" Noren offered, "If they have all their facts right, we can see the story of how you met!"

Sen looked uncomfortable and Azula made a face. "The circumstances of that are..."

"It'll be alright," Ursa said, with a careful smile, "I think it might be nice."

Azula frowned at her, then looked at Sen. They eventually looked down at Hina, who was certainly eager to see the play; they were always a bit ridiculous and not worth the effort for her, but Hina was curious about it and about them. Perhaps there would be bad with it, but there always was.

"Fine." she replied.

O

They went to the theater and sat in the balcony seats. Zuko took a moment to admire the fact that they were the same seats they used when he had been a kid, traveling with Aang and his friends. He chuckled at the thought and Ursa looked at him curiously.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing. It's just...we sat here in this same spot before," he explained, with a smile. "A long time ago. And here we are now. New family. New life."

Ursa was touched by the comment and put her arm around him, kissing his cheek.

Hina had chosen a spot between both of her parents and eagerly watched as the play began. The curtain rose to reveal a set representative of the ocean. A model Fire Nation ship prop was gliding onto stage from the left; a man portraying Sen was standing at the bow of the ship, garbed in Sen's armor. The actor portraying Jia was standing at the helm.

Sen made a face, tilting her head and Azula chuckled.

"You know what I was thinking about that actor, Sen?" she whispered, leaning to one side.

"Yes, I know." Sen replied.

They spoke at the same time now.

\- "Mine are bigger than that."

\- "Yours are bigger than that."

Hina looked up at Sen curiously now. "Mom, you were a soldier?"

"I was, for a time," Sen explained, watching the actors on stage. "I led a group called the Sea Ravens on many missions." She hesitated and Azula glanced sidelong to her. "We did terrible things in the name of our nation."

Hina frowned thoughtfully. She had clearly known that, but it still seemed to make her grow silent, thinking on what Sen could have done. "Oh..."

"Even good leaders make mistakes, Hina. But it takes a better one to correct them," Sen continued to explain, "Don't forget that."

Hina nodded slightly.

The scene changed to actor Sen at a desk display and Sen groaned, leaning in her seat and covering her face with one hand. She knew what was coming.

"Oh no..." she mumbled, into her hand.

The actor Sen went on to proclaim her attempt at a love letter and this earned a few giggles from those in the audience. Sen's face was bright red and Ursa smiled a bit, leaning down to whisper to Sen.

"I think it's precious of you to have done such a thing." she assured her.

"I will write a song for the Dragon Princess!" actor Sen declared, with dramatic gestures of her arms. "It will take me forty-two tries, but I will finally find the words to proclaim my love!"

Azula raised her eyebrows and Hina giggled, looking at Sen as she slouched further into her seat, embarrassed. Zuko couldn't help his chuckle and Noren laughed a little as well.

"Wow, is that number accurate?" Noren questioned.

Sen just mumbled helplessly into her hand.

"What's wrong with mom?" Hina asked, with a grin toward an amused Azula, "I think it's really neat that she wrote you a love letter!"

"Oh, don't worry, Hina," Azula assured her, in a dramatic drawl, "Your mother simply does this thing when she becomes embarrassed and she makes this face that looks like she has a bad case of indigestion."

Sen looked up at them and Azula grinned, pointing. "Yes! That one!"

Actresses meant to portray Sen's crew were singing and Azula crowed with laughter while Sen continued to slouch there, annoyed and disgusted with the portrayal.

"We never sang on my ship," she griped.

"Never?" Hina asked.

Azula grinned at Sen and she rolled her eyes before shrugging. "Ugh, Jia sung one song when we made it to port. That was it. And the woman couldn't carry a note to save her life."

"And you sing?" Azula was interested in the thought, albeit amused.

Sen shrugged her shoulders, unsure. "It...crossed my mind."

"Hmm, I imagine I'd like to hear that."

Sen gave her a weak smile in response and Ursa's reaction was warm and happy; it was still nice seeing Sen and Azula interact.

The play continued to unveil scenes from the past; most of them had enraptured the audience. Sen watched her actor portray a scene with her taking out many earthbenders during the siege of Ba Sing Se. The entire time, the actor version of her was over-dramatic and proud, which made Sen cringe where she sat.

"Mom, do you have a bird mask like that?" Hina asked, pointing at the stage.

Sen nodded her head. "I used to wear it, yes. But threw it away. I didn't feel like I needed it."

Hina smiled. "Really?"

"Yes, that's right."

"I WILL DECLARE MY LOVE FOR THE DRAGON PRINCESS! IF NOT FOR MY HIDEOUS FACE!" Actor Sen declared, in front of a mirror prop.

Azula made a face before looking at Sen. "You didn't really fail to tell me your feelings for that reason, did you?"

Sen didn't answer, but looked away, ashamed.

No, that wasn't it.

The scene changed to actor Sen and actor Zuko standing on a mock setup of the beach of Ember Island. Actor Zuko pointed at Sen.

"So! You are in love with my sister, Azula!" he declared.

"I am!" Actor Sen proclaimed, with dramatic gestures, "But you cannot speak of this to her! She is perfection and would not love me."

"I will tell her anyway!" Actor Zuko yelled.

"No! I will quiet you, insolent boy!"

The two actors pretended to firebend with streamers and jumps. Zuko and Sen frowned.

"That didn't happen that way." Zuko said.

Azula grinned up at Zuko. "So that's what you two were fighting on the beach about? You figured it out."

Sen blushed a little, embarrassed. "Maybe."

The scene changed to actress Azula kneeling over a mirror. Sen looked pained by the sight and Zuko looked at her sympathetically.

"Sen!" Actress Azula declared, when the actor Sen knelt down beside her. "Everyone else has left but you! Why have you stayed by my side this whole time?"

A scroll fell onto the stage from above and landed right in front of her. Actress Azula picked it up, her eyes roving over it before she scowled and shoved the actor for Sen to the floor.

"These words are disgusting!" she declared, "You're disgusting! Leave me at once and never come back!"

Azula's eyes widened at the sight as she watched the actor Sen plead for forgiveness. She looked at Sen now, who looked wounded seeing the scene again.

"Did I really say all of that?" she asked.

"Not in those words but... yes." Sen replied, quietly.

Azula's brow knotted. "I don't remember saying it."

Ursa's hand was over her mouth and Noren looked stunned. They sat in silence, but continued to watch the play unfold. Zuko was also uncomfortable, but sympathetic to what had happened. He had no idea that it had been that bad; the Players were probably somewhat off by what had been said, but still. It was heartbreaking to know now that Sen had wandered the forest because of this.

Hina looked sad as well, looking up at Azula. "That's real sad." she said, "Why'd you say those things?"

"I don't remember - "

Sen cut her off, putting a hand on Hina's shoulder. "It wasn't her fault, Hina," she explained, "Sometimes we say and do things we don't mean and sometimes we hurt people in the process. But it's important to remember that no matter what, we'll always love them." She said her words more for Azula. "And we will never give up on them."

Azula smiled thinly in response.

Ursa was continuing to watch the play with anguish. "This is because I left, isn't it?" she whispered. "My children suffered for it."

"Mother, please..." Zuko didn't want to see her blame herself any more.

"Yes, Ursa. We cannot change our past," Noren reminded her, with a reassuring smile. "But this is our future now. We can only go forward from here."

O

Actor Sen stood on stage with actors Aang, Katara, Zuko and various others. "I want to join you!" he told them. "I will need help saving the Princess!"

Actor Zuko faced actor Sen now. "My sister can't change. She can't be trusted. She's dangerous."

"No!" Actor Sen proclaimed, "I am her loyal knight. I will never turn my back on her. I may be wounded from my journey, tired and exhausted, but I am still strong!"

Azula's features smoothed out at the sight of the portrayal. She always knew Sen had been there by her side to defend her if need be, but she never knew that Sen was willing to go back for her even after what she'd said.

So when the scene came when the actress Azula was bound and Sen was there to embrace her, she didn't even remember when that had happened. She only remembered the smell of fire, the taste of the water on her face and the warmth of an embrace.

She really had been gone.

"Azula! Princess, I have returned to you!" Actor Sen declared, "I fought my way through soldiers and the elements!"

"Why?" Actress Azula spat, "Why would you come back to me after the things I said?"

"Because I love you! And no matter what, your faithful knight will always stand by your side!"

Azula glanced at Sen, who looked away, suddenly embarrassed by the performance.

When it came time for the intermission, they gathered outside, sitting on a flight of stairs. Kiyi and Hina were talking about the play while Sen and Azula made their way away to talk.

"I had no idea you fought your way to reach me again," Azula said.

Sen nodded her head. "Of course I would. Nothing else mattered."

"Sen, even after all this time, you never talked about what happened," Azula made a face, not quite sure she wanted to discuss it either. "Why is that?"

"Because I didn't want to upset you."

"Why would that have upset me?"

"Because I already did that once. I didn't want to do that again."

"That's why you don't talk about it."

"Yes..."

Azula furrowed her brow, silent for a moment. Then, she looked over her shoulder to Noren, Ursa and Zuko discussing something she had no interest in. She was more curious about what happened later once she had been taken away and Sen had spent every moment of her life at her side.

"What happened then, Sen?" she asked. "Tell me."

"Azula, you don't have to know about it. It's... You've made so much progress."

"Sen. I want you to tell me." Azula stared at her firmly.

Sen looked at her sadly, then sighed and shut her eyes before she began.

_Sen's body was exhausted as she embraced Azula, kneeling on the grate. She smelled her own blood, her wounds from the Boar-Q-Pine torn open. Her body was aching from running, fighting. But she was so relieved to have made it, saved Azula from what she felt was her death._

_"You're...alright, Azula..." she breathed, "I'm so glad."_

"I was exhausted from fighting and I could barely keep my head up."

_Sen let out a long, exhausted sigh and collapsed to the marble floor of the courtyard and both Zuko and Katara went to her aid._

"I ran all the way to the palace. I was...I did all of that because I was willing to beg you for forgiveness."

"What for?"

"To forgive me for...falling in love with you. I thought that hurt you. I thought me, a creature that I am, feeling for you hurt you. It was selfish, it was cruel. But I... I was willing to fight for you, too. No matter what."

_Sen was laying there, bloody and broken. Katara knelt down to her and Sen groaned softly._

_"Oh, you're alive!" Katara gasped, relieved._

_Sen nodded weakly, reaching out for her. Katara took her hand and helped her by letting her lean on her shoulder. Sen looked around, then her eyes widened when she saw Azula was gone._

_"Where is she?" she gasped._

_"Sen, wait," Katara didn't look at her. "We need to get you help."_

_"WHERE IS SHE?" Sen shouted, frantic now._

"It took a lot of convincing, but Zuko was able to get you away from imprisonment." Sen continued to explain, "I begged him not to do that to you and he came up with the solution to get you proper care. It wasn't...without it's difficulties."

_They were taking her away._

_Sen wrapped her arms around Azula, listening to her anguished wails and screams as she thrashed. Sen clenched her teeth, eyes filling as she struggled to help them get her into the facility. Azula was screaming at her, at everyone around her. This was destroying Sen; having to hold her steady like this with her hands closed around her wrists in a crisscross fashion against her chest. It was like holding an armful of wriggling eels. Azula just wouldn't sit still._

_"Azula, please..." she pleaded._

_"Shut up!" Azula screamed, over and over as tears poured down her cheeks; her horrible wails came like a mantra, echoing through the corridors of the institution, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"_

"I stayed there for days after you were placed in the institution," Sen continued, quietly, "It was only when Katara found me sleeping in a bush that she urged me to come stay with them for a time. I told her I'd slept outside in the dirt before, but..." She laughed a little, then stopped when she noticed the grave frown on Azula's face. "I didn't give up."

Azula's eyes softened a little and she sighed, leaning her head against Sen's shoulder as they watched the shore. "I know." she replied, "You never did."

Once they were back inside to finish the play, the actor version of Sen was standing at the base of a mock wall of the institution Azula had been placed in. She was declaring her love for Azula and how she'd wait for her Dragon Princess for as long as it took.

Ursa and Noren watched the scene unfold with happy smiles. Azula looked at Sen and the other woman smiled at her before taking her hand in hers. The contact made Azula look down briefly before she continued to watch the play.

This was fine.

O

Ursa approached the beach house where she found Azula and Zuko standing.

"Ah, this is where I find you." she said.

Zuko looked up gravely at the house. "So much has changed since then," he replied, "Remember those summers we had here?"

Ursa nodded her head. She shut her eyes, pained before she continued. "I'm sorry. Both of you."

They looked at her and Ursa's eyes filled, her breathing hitching as she fought her tears. "I'm sorry I didn't love you enough."

Zuko's eyes widened and he embraced his mother. Azula stood silently, features impassive.

"Don't say that." Zuko said.

Ursa shook her head, tears freshly falling. Azula sighed, looking sharply away from the sight. What right did Ursa have to be upset?

"But it's true. I ... I forgot you. What kind of mother forgets her children?" Ursa wiped her eyes on the back of her hand.

Zuko faced his mother completely. "Maybe things were rough, but they turned out okay in the end," he assured her, "We've all got friends now - good ones. We have lives we can be proud of and we're together again. We can start all over and make it even better."

Ursa laughed tearfully before she looked at Azula.

The look made Azula's heart skip and she uttered a start when Ursa put her arms around her. While Ursa was real, holding her and crying in her shoulder; she still felt so...false. Even after a year of being reunited with her, it was taking Azula so long to come to terms with this reality.

"And you, Azula..." Ursa parted from her. "I'm glad that you have a good family. I'm happy that it ended so well for you."

Azula swallowed thickly, but uttered no retort to her words. She could see beyond Ursa that Sen and Hina were playing on the beach, running around an enormous bonfire they had set up with Noren and Kiyi. Sen had fallen down and was laughing.

Ursa took her hands in hers and look at her, remorseful. "I know what I say can never change what happened." she continued. "I know our relationship will always be strained because of this. The things that happened to you..." She shook her head. "I can't fix that. Nothing I can do will unmake the pain Ozai had inflicted."

No, it wouldn't.

"But let me try," Ursa pleaded, "Let me try and do the best I can to make it right. Even if it takes me my whole life."

Azula frowned at her, looked at Zuko who smiled hopefully at her.

"Let's go down to the fire," Azula finally said, her tone even.

They returned to the bonfire and both Sen and Azula walked the beach with Hina between them, holding her hands. The walk was nice and it gave them a moment to share to themselves as they thought of ways to talk about what had happened.

Sen looked down at Hina, troubled by what she saw on the stage. She had no idea what the child would think of them, even if Hina seemed to be in good enough spirits. Azula read her look and nodded once. She was curious as well.

"Hina, what did you think of the play?" she asked.

"I thought it was great!" Hina told her.

Azula frowned thoughtfully. "Even though you knew we've done terrible things?"

"Well..." Hina's smile disappeared slightly as she kicked up some sand. "I think that's not who you are now. I think you did bad things, but you're better now. And you like me."

Azula and Sen looked at each other; Sen laughed quietly, staring down at Hina. "You're a smart child, Hina."

"I know." Hina smiled broadly, puffing her chest out with pride.

Sen looked at Azula curiously now. "So...how did it go with Ursa?"

Azula made a thoughtful sound, but shrugged her shoulders once. "I think it'll be fine."

"Really?"

"Really."

That was all.

Sen's smile was warm as she leaned over to kiss Azula. Hina reached up for Sen and the woman rolled her eyes with a smile before she leaned down, letting Hina rest on her shoulders.

"Komodo Rhino mom, go!" Hina cried, pointing.

"Oh, for Spirit's sake." Azula said, shaking her head.

Sen grinned and raced across the beach with Hina squealing with delight. Sen was making loud noises, imitating a Komodo Rhino.

It was nice.

Azula was pleased by the ridiculous sight as she folded her arms across her chest. Her eyes softened as she watched the ocean water.

But she wasn't paying attention when Sen and Hina came running for her until it was too late. She watched them coming right for her and her eyes widened.

"Don't. You. Dare." she warned.

She gave an undignified cry as Sen lunged into her, knocking them both into the sand. Hina laughed with delight and threw her arms in the air. Azula huffed, laying there with dismay and she was about to retort to such childishness until Sen kissed her cheek.

"I love you." she said, with a playful smile.

Azula rolled her eyes, but smiled and shook her head, still slightly miffed by the tackle. Still, she kissed Sen anyway, marveling over how much had changed; Sen, once a dangerous bender and now a mother.

Azula, a Fire Nation Princess fallen from grace.

And now a better mother than Ursa, perhaps.

It was nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The play titled The Dragon Princess and Her Knight was inspired by a real story I wrote MANY YEARS ago about a female knight in service to a princess. This ending may have been fluffy and self-indulgent, but I'm happy with it and I can't believe it's finally done.
> 
> Thank you guys for reading and supporting it! I never expected so much love for this fic, but I appreciate every bit of it!

**Author's Note:**

> Partially inspired by the song "Time After Time" performed by Raya Yarbrough and arranged by Bear McCreary.


End file.
